These kids, today, all they ever do is stare at little screens from dawn to dusk and never interact with the world around them. They sit in groups at the mall and in school and talk to their devices instead of each other. Computers and smart phones and the Internet are robbing our young people of real living. There is some truth to this train of thought, but as I try to point out there is always another view. While I’m a fan of modern technology, I understand how any tool can be used for ill.
The dark side of the Internet is familiar to many to varying degrees. Deviants prey on innocents in chat rooms and popular sites like Craigslist. Teens have found programs for their smart phones to share nude photos parents are only just starting to know about. Misinformation and misleading advertisements like so many potholes on the Information Super Highway. MTV’s show Catfish still finds new stories. Terrorists recruit and spread hateful propaganda successfully online. I don’t remember most phone numbers because I can always pull them up on my phone.
My sweetheart, Amanda, described the Internet as a resource. How interesting it is in our lifetime, dear reader, to see the birth of a new resource. Petroleum delivers people and resources physically around the world while the Internet does so digitally. The social connections made online may lack the intimacy of face-to-face interaction, but I dare say Amanda and I would not have gotten together without the inhibition-releasing nature of the Internet.
One of the greatest aspects of the Internet has to be the spread of education. I’m not even talking instantly accessible facts and figures but learning real-world skills. I’m out of practice teaching guitar, but the amount of free education on guitar playing alone is invaluable, and yet plenty of it is free. Go to www.google.com and type “how to” followed by anything and you’ll find websites and videos dedicated to teaching whatever skill strikes your fancy, and most of them will be free. I could pack a day’s schedule, hour by hour, following guitar lessons, learning chainmail weaves, making use of 3d art tutorials, creating electronic music, and programming video games. In fact, all of these I’ve done over different amounts of time, all from the comfort of my home, all free, and all with the potential to make money. The only thing this education often lacks is a teacher, or a guide. These often cost money for their time, but if you’re self-motivated and patient, there is so much you can learn.
The Internet can be a scary place, but it’s simply a tool or a resource. Be careful when using your personal information or making purchases, and look closely at what you’re accepting when you download anything. Otherwise, explore if you haven’t. Don’t let the gap widen too far between what your kids know about this gulf of information and what you know.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Pajama Education