Wow, yikes. Reminds me of the "hero cop" archetype in police recruiting and tacticool gear advertisements that Waypoint talked about a few years ago. Only a hero parent prepared to go to war is suitable to protect their kids from the forces of evil on the internet.
The callus analogy is very apt. I worry that wrapping kids in bubble wrap to protect them from the internet is only going to leave them unprepared for the real threats from scams/right-wing recruiters/etc. Kids should be allowed to "play in the dirt", so to speak, and built up their calluses and their immune system.
I can't say that the thought of my daughter one day being online doesn't fill me with anxiety. There's... A lot on the internet that I'd prefer she steer clear of. To some extent using parental filters helps. But also, I think a lot of technology like this misses some essential. Trust is a two way street, and it's forged through conversations, not unilateral controls
My approach to apps/tech/ like this might be simplistic, but I ask myself, "Would I be comfortable if it was done to me? Would I see the utility?" And if the answer is "no", I look for another way to address the problem. Kids need space to make mistakes without being monitored 24/7. I was definitely VERY unsafe with my phone when I got one as a teen, and that was way before mobile internet was a thing. Ultimately, what kept me out of trouble was the conversations I had with my mom about talking to strangers, appropriate behavior, and basic safety principles like not sharing my address when texting with people I don't know. I hope to be able to instill the same in my daughter, without having a keylogger app track her every move.
As someone who hit adulthood at an interesting time for the internet’s dangers (broadband hitting as a teen, iphone hitting the year I went to college) I feel lucky to have that balance of growing up with technology but not being overwhelmed by it — I have no idea how I’d raise a kid with all this stuff (despite thinking of doing so, so very interested!)
Wow, yikes. Reminds me of the "hero cop" archetype in police recruiting and tacticool gear advertisements that Waypoint talked about a few years ago. Only a hero parent prepared to go to war is suitable to protect their kids from the forces of evil on the internet.
The callus analogy is very apt. I worry that wrapping kids in bubble wrap to protect them from the internet is only going to leave them unprepared for the real threats from scams/right-wing recruiters/etc. Kids should be allowed to "play in the dirt", so to speak, and built up their calluses and their immune system.
I can't say that the thought of my daughter one day being online doesn't fill me with anxiety. There's... A lot on the internet that I'd prefer she steer clear of. To some extent using parental filters helps. But also, I think a lot of technology like this misses some essential. Trust is a two way street, and it's forged through conversations, not unilateral controls
My approach to apps/tech/ like this might be simplistic, but I ask myself, "Would I be comfortable if it was done to me? Would I see the utility?" And if the answer is "no", I look for another way to address the problem. Kids need space to make mistakes without being monitored 24/7. I was definitely VERY unsafe with my phone when I got one as a teen, and that was way before mobile internet was a thing. Ultimately, what kept me out of trouble was the conversations I had with my mom about talking to strangers, appropriate behavior, and basic safety principles like not sharing my address when texting with people I don't know. I hope to be able to instill the same in my daughter, without having a keylogger app track her every move.
As someone who hit adulthood at an interesting time for the internet’s dangers (broadband hitting as a teen, iphone hitting the year I went to college) I feel lucky to have that balance of growing up with technology but not being overwhelmed by it — I have no idea how I’d raise a kid with all this stuff (despite thinking of doing so, so very interested!)