"Growing Up On-Line"

This show was not only intriguing and invoking, but also a little scary. I think that the internet has now become "part-of" this new generations life. It is no longer a place that they visit or see as separate. Children are connecting with friends via the internet, expressing themselves and trying on new persona's to figure out who they are and who they want to be.

I think it is great! What an awesome new world we live in. Where children can reach out to so many others and relate with them, share their strengths, accomplishments and challenges. It is a great way to stay connected and get connected. It is something that I know I would have taken too immediately growing up.

On the flip-side, I think children could easy get lost and blur the lines between reality and virtual reality. One big concern here is that children, especially ones without a solid repertoire of emotional and social skills, will rely more on the virtual world to express themselves than face-to-face interaction. We cannot lose touch with the impact human experience is like when in the presence of another human.

It was talked about in the video, an in class, that students are much more cruel in the virtual arena than when confronted in person. It is like a veil for them to hide behind (adults too). You cannot see, even with virtual cameras, how written comments can effect one's feelings, in my opinion.

Even though I have some concerns for my students, and my own son, growing up in this new technologically advanced world, I feel the this time in history is one I want to be part of. The internet has changed are world dramatically. It is changing how we teach, communicate and raise are children. It needs to be engaged, examined, explored and embraced! There is no going back...