Growing up online

The film, “Growing Up Online” gave an insider’s look into the lives of several average American teens and the affect that the Internet had on their lives. The film also focuses on the reactions of adults who are trying to integrate into the system or shun the system from their lives. Several issues about the Internet and social networking sites are addressed and various viewpoints from the “characters” are given. In general, parents were concerned about their children’s private activities on the Internet. However, kids were bothered by their parents’ interest in their online social lives. They believed that what they did online was their own private business and that the parents had no right to look into it. In one instance, a mother asked her son for his Facebook password and he denied it to her, she said that she would keep it in a “sealed envelope in case of emergency” but again he denied it to her saying that she would abuse his trust and read the password anyway. From this particular instance, it can be inferred that, because of the Internet, some parent-child relationships are suffering because in some cases trust issues develop which results in a lack of healthy communication. In another case, a young teenage girl who suffered socially transformed her image on Myspace, attracting a cultish following. Her parents were completely ignorant to the fact that she used the Internet to upload risqué photos of herself onto her Myspace page. However, the most disturbing was the issue of so called “cyber bullying”. In an extreme case, cyber bullies were continually harassing a young boy with self-esteem issues online. Eventually, he began contemplating suicide and began looking online to discover how to and met another who encouraged him to do it, which in the end he did. In short, this video shows how the Internet can possibly affect the average American teenager.

I would say the Internet has definitely enriched my life. However, I would say that, for the most part, this is genuinely rare. I use the Internet as a powerful resource similar to most people; however, I don’t participate in social networking sites. I refrain from this because frankly, I can’t see the point in it. To me social media is completely idiotic. I can’t think of a single reason why I would want to display my personal information, feelings, etc. with the world. It’s not cause I think that it’s dangerous or anything; I just see social networking as a totally waste of time. I don’t see why I would sit in front of a computer when I could just go and hang out with friends. Anyway, I believe the Internet is a very valuable resource when used with moderation. It is infinitely useful when searching for obscure facts or general information. It does not provide a good substitute for, for example, reading an actual book. But if you’re casually looking for some facts or looking for a product evaluation, the Internet is a good place to go. Basically, the Internet is a tool, not a way of life, and if used properly, it can be a really excellent tool.