Is your son or daughter showing signs of digital addiction?
The digital natives of today have been born into an always-on culture. For many children that are growing up with early adopters for parents, they have never known a time without cell phones, they have never known a time without wireless internet buzzing through the walls of their home. Connectivity flows in the air.
Aaron Yacks's son asked without hesitation if he could use his father's laptop to go online on a recent road trip. When denied, his son became confused and Aaron was struck to find words that would explain why his Blackberry could go online in a moving vehicle, but not the laptop. But in a few years, when we are connected everywhere all the time, will questions like this even exist?
We are reaching a new baseline for culture. It's a baseline where "online" is no longer a technical state. "Online" just is.
And this new baseline has some interesting implications on the way we record our children's lives, they way they interact with us, and they way they interact with each other...
Recently there was an article on the New York Times that went something like this:
"Get in line for computer time - your babies are busy chatting up the interwebs. Does your baby Twitter, keep a Kidmondo journal or have a Totspot page? If so, they're in good company. If not, they're, like so 2007."
The article annoyed a few Organics, including Kari Girarde:
"This just seems absurd to me. If a parent wants to blog about their family or their kids, more power to them. However I think blogging as your child is crossing that line into creepy. Don't parents have problems maintaining their own identity and interests, without becoming their child."
But what Kari didn't know is that for the parents of the 21st century, it was already too late. With every YouTube video we post, with every Flickr photo gallery that we build, we are building a digital lifestream for our children when they are too young to even understand that we are sharing their lives.
In a recent conversation I had with Scott Lange, a proud Flickr addict, he admitted starting his daughter's digital lifestream just moments after her birth. It was in that moment, that we were both struck by an unusual and startling question... Are we outsourcing our children's memories to machines?
Why remember birthdays, when you get reminded by Facebook? Why remember the homework assignment, when you can just pull it up on Blackboard? Why remember life events, when you can just pull them up on Flickr?
This is a strange new world that brings new meaning to transparency:
"I can go online and see what my kids did today in school. I can see what their homework is, and I can even e-mail the teacher if I think the assignment is confusing or if I think they misgraded by son."
Aaron Yacks
And new meaning to addiction:
"My boys had a great time on vacation. But, it wasn't even 15 minutes from the time we returned home where they were already back on the computer going online. It's like they needed to get their fix for the day."
Aaron Yacks
So now that I know what my future children are up against, I want go even deeper. Stick with me this week as I look at...
How is technology changing relationships?
How is technology changing learning?
How is technology changing human beings?
This is a personal exploration for me, a future parent. Much of what I write is meant to strike a conversation. So, please share with me your experiences. I would love to hear them.
Marta Strickland
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digital culture
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Strategists & Planners
Comments (5)
Sounds like Aaron needs to upgrade his wireless plan and buy an aircard for his laptop so his digital native can be just like all the other little natives out there.
Posted by Lori Laurent Smith | September 30, 2008 9:56 AM
Posted on September 30, 2008 09:56
Sounds like Aaron needs to upgrade his wireless plan and buy an aircard for his laptop so his digital native can be just like all the other little natives out there.
Posted by Lori Laurent Smith | September 30, 2008 9:57 AM
Posted on September 30, 2008 09:57
How is technology changing relationships?
How is technology changing learning?
How is technology changing human beings?
The above are less questions, and more facts.
Technology changes relationships.
Technology changes learning.
Technology changes human beings.
Posted by Jason Tselentis | September 30, 2008 11:58 AM
Posted on September 30, 2008 11:58
Great article. Lots of proving thoughts for all of us (not just the kids).
Posted by Gary LaPointe | September 30, 2008 6:43 PM
Posted on September 30, 2008 18:43
"why his Blackberry could go online in a moving vehicle, but not the laptop."
I ask this ALL the TIME :)... the internet should be everywhere ALL the TIME!
Posted by Leah McChesney | October 1, 2008 6:34 AM
Posted on October 1, 2008 06:34