Dansh Boyd, who holds positions at Microsoft Research, New York University, and Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, has a pointed message for parents: Most everything we think we know about the way our kids are using the Internet is wrong. Boyd's new book, it's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens, makes the case that the Internet isn't nearly as scary or damaging to young people as many moms and dads believe. As the mother of a 16-yaer-old, I found most of it fascinating. Here are two of my biggest takeaways:
Technology is not turning our teens into social misfits.
Although the image persists that young people would rather test than talk, and prefer connecting of Facebook than hanging out in person, Boyd says this isn't true. "Most of the teens that I met ... were desperate for the opportunity to leave their homes to gather with friends," she writes.
The trouble is that in many communities, young people have less freedom than they once did because they are so over scheduled and because parents are worried about their safety. "The era of being able to run around after school as long as you are home before dark is long over." Boyd notes.
To make up for this lost freedom, teens have turned to their computers. "The success of social media must be understood partly in relation to this shrinking social landscape." Boyd explains. Facebook, Twitter. Instagram, Snapchat, and other sites "are not only new public spaces: they are in many cases the only 'public' spaces in which teens can easily communicate with large groups of their peers."
Adolescents aren't as Internet savvy as we like to think.
Although teens have been called "digital natives" for having grown up practically glued to their computers and smart-phones, they still remain simple in many ways about what they find online. After all, they're just kids.
"Many of today's teens are indeed deeply engaged with social media ... but this does not mean that they have the knowledge or skills to make the most of their online experiences," Boyd writes. "The so-called 'digital natives,' far from being useful, is often a distraction to understanding the challenges that youth face in the networked world."
One area in which young people need help is in learning to distinguish between valid and misleading sources of information. "Teens may make their own media or share content online," Boyd observes, "but this does not mean that they inherently have the knowledge or perspective to critically examine what they consume."
Yet many teachers, librarians, and, yes, parents do. "Even those who are afraid of technology," Boyd says, "can offer valuable critical perspective."
As a mom or dad, the most important thing for your kid to plug into is your hard-earned wisdom.
46. Danah Boyd's new book mainly talks about ________.
A.the correct and wise use of the Internet for young people |
B.teens' real social lives online and advice for parents |
C.measures parents can take to deal with the damaging Internet |
D.fascinating takeaways for a mother of a 16-year-old |
47. According to Boyd, why are teens nowadays easily considered social misfits?
A.Because they seem to prefer to communicate through social networks. |
B.Because they are too over scheduled to hang out with friends in person. |
C.Because parents require them to stay at home more for safety reasons. |
D.Because social networks offer them convenience of communication |
48. An "Internet savvy" person is one who ________.
A.tends to be cheated over the Internet all the time |
B.is completely absorbed in social networks all the time |
C.knows how to fully and wisely use the Internet |
D.has the ability to distinguish right from wrong |
49. Boyd may suggest that parents should ________.
A.provide kids with more chances to leave homes and gather with friends |
B.build more public places for kids to communicate with their peers |
C.provide kids with knowledge and skills to help them to digital natives |
D.filter out the misleading sources of information online for their kids |