Parental Challenges raising children in the digital age

1. FILM 260
Sandy Shearer
St# 04082819

2. Those who were not
brought up in the
digital age are referred
to as “Digital
Immigrants”(9)

3. Those who were
brought up in the
digital age and have
known technology
all their lives are
referred to as
“Digital Natives”
(9)

4. From birth, “Digital Natives “ will be surrounded by and exposed to
technology at a rate unseen in human history. The future will be full of
wearable devices that offer constant connectivity to the web and each other
(3)

5. A recent article in the
Globe and Mail
reported that
“Canadian kids can
navigate a tablet
before they can tie
their shoe laces” (11)

6. But is this surprising given the ease
of use of a tablet?
Is this not something parents should
encourage? as Gary Arlen notes in his
article The Internet of Things, “The
future world will include automated
homes and appliances that will
require Digital Natives and Digital
Immigrants alike to be tech savvy”(1)

7. While Digital
Natives may sleep
soundly with this
knowledge…

8. …the quick adoption of these new
technologies presents challenges for Digital
Immigrant parents raising Digital Native
children in the digital age (6)(12)

9. Digital Immigrants have legitimate concerns about
protecting their Digital Native children in the online
world as demonstrated by the tragic case of Amanda
Todd, a 16 year old girl who was driven to suicide
due to exploitation from an online predator.(7)(13)
Picture source: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Suicide-of-Amanda-
Todd/424112397648645?fref=ts (retrieved 10 June 2015)

10. Along with physical
security, come questions
of how much screen time
is safe for developing
minds.(8)
Tablets have only been
around since 2010 which
has not been long
enough to conduct any
in-depth research

12. Digital Immigrants must first educate
themselves on technology and online
trends so that they can in turn educate and
guide their children.

13. However, If
done incorrectly
parent’s
attempts to
keep their
children safe
and educate
them may have
the opposite
effect and harm
independence
and trust(5)(2)

14. Reading online is thought to
cause the loss of the ability to
conduct deep reading and
hamper the ability to focus
when reading paper books. (4)

15. What role will
traditional books
and reading play
in the upbringing
of a Digital
Native?
Bovile and
Livingstone argue
that Media
interactions have
replaced
children’s
traditional
leisure reading
(10)

16. In order to prepare Digital Natives to live in both the
physical and online world of tomorrow, a balance must
be found between traditional methods of learning and
play as well as introduction and education to new
technologies. (10)

17. In today’s fast paced world achieving
this balance is a significant challenge
for Digital Immigrant
parents

18. It is time that Parents educate their children
on how to safely navigate the online
world…

19. ..to teach them about the
abundance of opportunities
technology can provide…

20. ….and educate
them on the
dangers and
safety
requirements that
must also be
taken…

21. …so that Digital Natives can
grow up to be active and
educated Digital Citizens in
the interconnected online
world of tommorow

22. FILM 260 sources:
1. Arlen, Gary. 2014. “The Internet of things: looking ahead to an interconnected
world”. High Tech Industry News. Retrieved June 5, 2015 (URL
http://hightechindustrynews.com/the-internet-of-things/)
2. Ingram, Mathew. August 2013. “Snooping on your kids: If the NSA’s Tools were
available I probably would have used them.” Retrieved 5 Jun 2015
(URLhttps://gigaom.com/2013/08/07/snooping-on-your-kids-if-the-nsas-tools-were-
available-i-probably-would-have-used-them/)
3. Islam, Nayeem and Roy Want. 2014 “Smartphones: Past, Present, and Future”.
Pervasive Computing. Issue No.04 - Oct.-Dec. vol.13 pp: 89-92. Retrieved June 5, 2015
(URLhttp://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/pc/2014/04/mpc2014040089-abs.html)
4. Johnson, Matthew. “Use, Understand and Creative: Towards a Comprehensive
Canadian Digital Literacy Curriculum.” MediaSmarts.
5. Mathiesen, Kay. December 2013 ”The Internet, children, and privacy: the case
against parental monitoring. Ethics and Information Technology.” 4:15
6. Paul Pamela. May 3, 2013 “Cyberparenting and the Risk of T.M.I.” The New York
Times. Retrieved 5 June 2015 (URL
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/fashion/cyber-parents-accessing-perhaps-
tmi.html?_r=0)

23. Original sources:
7. Dean, Michelle, October 18, 2012.“The story of Amanda Todd” The New Yorker..
Retrieved June 5, 2015. (URL http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-
story-of-amanda-todd)
8. Diehl, David C. and Stephanie C. Toelle. “Making Good Decisions: Media in the Lives
of Young Children”. Retrieved June 5, 2015 (URL http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1073)
9. Prensky, Marc. 2001 “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon. MCB
University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5,
10. M. Bovile, Sonia Livingstone. 2013 “Children and Their Changing Media
Environment: A European Comparative Study”. Media education.
11. Oliveira, Michael. ”Canadian kids can navigate a tablet before they can tie their
laces: report. The globe and mail. Published Sunday, Feb. 09, 2014 10.
12. Pittaro, Michael L. “Cyber stalking: An Analysis of Online Harassment and
Intimidation” . International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 2007. 1:2: 180–197
13“The Amanda Todd Story ” . Retrieved June 5, 2015 (URL
http://nobullying.com/amanda-todd-story/)
14. All photos are original photos and the property of Sandy Shearer with the exception
noted on slide 10