The young people of the world, with their knowledge of and capabilities with new forms of media… kind of freaks me out. So. I cannot image what the parents of these little people must be feeling. I have two little cousins, ages 12 and 7. They both have cellphones. Not just your typical cell phone… but smart phones…that come with data packages. I did not get a cell phone until I turned 16, and eve then, it was a very large, very plain phone, capable of making calls and sending texts, that came with 6 ringtones. You know what I'm talking about. My little cousins sit on the couch next to each other and text back and forth. They text from their bed rooms when they are supposed to be sleeping. They play games. The twelve year old has a Facebook page that her parents do not even know about. I think that new media plays a HUGE role in youth's culture today. I think that it is their main source of communication. With youth having a curfew and limiting the amount of time they can be out and about, they are utilizing new media as an opportunity to stay social… and social they are.
In my opinion, this is scary. The reason I find this to be so terrifying is because the youth, the ones who are so savvy in the new media, are too young to understand the real dangers that are out there in the online world. My 12 year old cousins doesn't turn down friend requests because her parents have taught her to "be a friend to everyone"…. but she isn't old enough to be able to differentiate between friends in her class and creepers in the virtual world. They are TOO young to have so much virtual freedom. Here is a link about some dangers to our online youth. Good luck parents!
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