social media

I had an interesting discussion the other day involving cell phones in the lives of adolescents. The conversation centered around the ubiquity of cell phones as well as the negatives and positives. I, for one, don't see the prevalence of digital technology decreasing (really going out on a limb there). Rather, it will become more and more entwined with our daily lives. So, what are we to do? What should we be concerned about when it comes to technology and adolescents? How much freedom should we give them with cell phones and the internet?

I had an interesting discussion the other day involving cell phones in the lives of adolescents. The conversation centered around the ubiquity of cell phones as well as the negatives and positives. I, for one, don't see the prevalence of digital technology decreasing (really going out on a limb there). Rather, it will become more and more entwined with our daily lives. So, what are we to do? What should we be concerned about when it comes to technology and adolescents? How much freedom should we give them with cell phones and the internet? 

The major positive of technology, access to information, also is one of its biggest challenges. That challenge is no different from other means of communication that have increased our access to information. Going back to the early days of our species' existence, we have showed each other lessons learned in the savannah and taught each other about tools such as fire or weapons that could be beneficial or detrimental to our development. Moving through the generations, access to this double-edged knowledge has only increased along with communication technologies; language, writing, the printing press, radio, television, and the internet. With each technological improvement, we are more and more exposed to our highest but also our most base natures.  

Compared to previous communication technologies, the internet is exponentially greater in its comprehensiveness. I can remember my high school sophomore European History class, paging through my parents' Funk and Wagnalls 29-volume encyclopedia to define terms on study guides. The Napoleon entry was probably about several hundred words. Searching "Napoleon" on the internet now yields nearly a hundred million entries within seconds. We have easier access to more knowledge than ever before.

That knowledge often is easily accessed by the little computers in our hands, smart phones, that are standard gear nowadays in the US. They can search for information on any topic they choose, some enlightening, some useless but benign, and some, corrupting. And, as with previous communication technologies, severely restricting or banning access isn't a solution. Rather, teaching young people appropriate usage while also limiting their exposure as much as possible to harmful material seems to be the way to go.

So, how do we do so? Appropriate usage is the ultimate goal, but it's also a pretty difficult task, since it involves effective teaching skills on adults' part and good decision-making by teens. Two parties are involved with more factors that could go wrong. Even if we do a good job explaining to teens the responsibility that comes with a cell phone, they might too often succumb to temptation in the heat of the moment and search inappropriate material or make a bad decision with social media. 

Restricting usage is a bit more straightforward, since it involves implementation by adults without teens' participation. Yet, whenever we limit our young people from experiences or certain information, we are making a judgement call on whether doing so is better for them. In some cases, exposure might be the better option. For instance, I prevent my seven year-old from seeing violence on the news, but when she is a teenager, such information would be important for her to have a more accurate understanding of the world.  

Most, if not all, wireless providers have software that gives more control and monitoring capabilities to parents. For example, parents can restrict time of usage to certain hours of the day. Each of the following charge an additional fee for the services.
Verizon: Family Base
AT&T: Smart Limits
T-mobile: Family Allowances