The Social Media Philosophy Project

Children Online: Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!

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There is always some article to be found about ‘the children’, that generic, amorphous group, who are identical of characteristic and circumstance. The articles range in tone from genuine questions and debate about concerns (such as found on this good site itself), to blatant grandstanding, panic, fear mongering, misquotes, and inaccuracies galore. I would link some, but I am fresh out of anti-nausea medication.

You know the ones, anyway, “Does breathing scar your child’s lungs?”, and “Statistics show every child predator is speculating about contemplating about thinking about the possibility of moving to your postcode – even next door! Stay tuned for how to be outraged about it!”. Excuse me, I feel slightly queasy now, let us move back to something a little more rational in tone.

This post is not going to quote studies, nor will I indulge in lies, damn lies, or statistics. Or hyperbole. This post is just going to discuss technology and children.

I offer only these qualifications – I am a geek. An utter Linux using, hardware playing, totally besotted, geek. I also happen to have five children. My children are 22, nearly 16, 13.5, 7, and 5. That is a fair sampling across the advance of technology, and its reach into our lives. Three distinct generations, with a more in depth and advanced involvement in technology than most.

So, I think I have a bit of experience in this area, certainly, enough to make some observations, and do a little conclusion drawing of my own. Let me start with background. You need to understand just how much they have been exposed to technology.

My children have been exposed to computers since the oldest was about 7 years old. Starting small, it became more than a hobby for me, it was my calling, my passion – besides them:) I was studying for an Info Tech degree in 1997, when the middle one was 18mths old. I was one of the group of people that helped found ITShareSA, a not for profit group taking recycled computer hardware, refurbishing it, and donating it to low income groups, individuals and communities. For many years, this ran from my home. I also worked professionally in the industry, until I had my fourth child, and began to run ITShare in earnest. All of this meant their home was full of interesting tech and geek type people, ridiculous amounts of hardware, and exposure to principles of Open Source computing as an advocacy platform. I even have a much treasured shot of Linus Torvalds with my kids at a Linux Conf.

Their fathers are both heavily into computers and technology, and have worked, or are working, in IT. The kids have had their own computers since they were very young – the younger two share a kid friendly customized Kubuntu computer, the 13.5 has an EeePc with Eeebuntu Netbook Remix install, the nearly 16yo, a laptop with dual boot Windows XP & Kubuntu, and the oldest one bought her own Windows based computer when she started working.

Now, that is a heavy concentration of technology in their lives, both in actual technology, and in being exposed to people who work in IT, advocate for technology, and in the actual nuts and bolts of technology – hardware and software. How has this affected them?

None of them are, so far, Open Source zealots. They have a comfortable understanding that there are times when one operating system is right for them, sometimes, they wish to use a different one. The small ones have their computer in the lounge room, and the girls keep their notebooks there too. We actually use our computers in a social way, sharing things we find, discussing what we are doing. When a predator started grooming one of my children in what had been a safe, moderated game, that child was able to discuss it with me (after some initial teenage embarrassment at being gullible), and show me how an expansion pack had been installed, moving that child away from the safe site.

They use their computers as an extension of their world, making a seamless integration of offline and online interactions. They have no fear, discomfort of new technology, or adapting to new concepts. They do not, as adults tend to, distinguish online as somehow less valid.

Friends online are as valuable as offline, it is different interactions that occur. Indeed, when they moved away to attend high school, the older ones were able to maintain contacts with friends, and as some moved away, that friendship was also maintained. Distance is not an obstacle to friendship anymore. They still connect with their friends offline at events, movies, shopping – the usual teenage social calendar applies.

They do not bother with going to libraries -the libraries of the world are at their fingertips. Information is easier to find – and the use of appropriate search terms to gain that information comes more and more naturally to them.

This does not mean it is all perfect. There are times when I have to remind them to get off the couch and move – no obesity issues for my active lot, however. The online predator was scary – but there are predators everywhere, on and offline. Educating your children, and ensuring trusting, honest, open communication is the responsibility of parents, not of technology.

They are aware of the risks of viruses and trojans, and if in Windows, ensuring that the appropriate software is updated – they have to deal with the consequences themselves, after all. Making sure their research is correct, and that the cut and paste method isn’t used, has been a process of education.

So, what is the point of the lengthy post? What conclusions have I to offer? Well, technology itself is not good or bad for children. People who raise their children well, communicate with them, and are educated and responsible with technology use, can see their children flourish. Children are so much more adaptable than adults, and instinctively can utilise the technology to achieve much.

Like any benefit, used wrongly, unsupervised, by children with parents too afraid or too indifferent to be active as part of the process, can be vulnerable, poorly educated, and at risk. This does not mean the technology is at fault. The parents are ultimately responsible for their children’s development. Technology can give children a wonderful advantage, or a terrible problem – but is it not in and of itself the problem.