Thursday 27 June 2013

My Kids in The Digital Age - And Why It Bothers & Scares Me.


 
The drink was water, Bickford's Lime Juice Cordial, and a dash of Angostura Bitters. Some ice (those pistol ones from my last post) and a slice of lemon. Of course, a Sixties-style highball glass adds to the atmosphere.
 
 
 
And below is what I wrote in response. There's a lot more I could say, but I was trying to be brief, although I think I strayed a little from the question asked. But what the hell, it's not an exam!
 
 

 
I scribbled my initials at the end of it to sound like a big-shot with more important things to do...like this morning's breakfast dishes. Ahh, lemon-fresh, squeaky clean.
 


6 comments:

  1. Huzzah! Give 'em both barrels! (:

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  2. I like your first point about age limits on the sites. The Parents are responsible for everything their kids do online, they need to be held to that and reminded before they allow it. It's just like being control operator on a ham station for an unlicensed participant - I would never leave them alone with it.
    In MY day, if we wanted to text someone, we wrote it out, folded it into a triangle and threw it at their head!

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  3. That was an excellent, and appropriately restrained, response. I'm surprised and pleased that the school recognizes the possible problems that these social sites pose for small children.

    Jeff The Bear

    PS: Got out my Kodak Retina IIa rangefinder, which I haven't used in years. It's time to rediscover just what I can do with that superb 50mm German lens.

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  4. I agree completely with all you said. And yes, I'd send them both replies. Someone has to keep the feet on the ground and make the point that children are not supposed to use social networking sites, precisely because they're still not mature enough to understand all the consequences of doing it.

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  5. Ha, I like notagain's description of old-school texting!

    There was just a good story on this topic in the NY Times.

    My own 13-year-old daughter has gotten hooked over the last year on a fanfiction site and is a frequent user of YouTube and Tumblr. I tell myself that at least she got a good basis in her first 10 years, when books and the physical world were her main source of entertainment and experience.

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  6. I don't think it was a case to waving a red rag to a bull. Your response was honest and considered. If there's one thing that users of old technology can offer those using the new - it is going to be about finding the right place for, and appropriate use of, technology.

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