Online social networks have become so central to teens’ lifestyles that some would consider their ability to access them during working hours when weighing up a job offer. In a recent survey, more than half (58 percent) said they would consider their ability to access social networks at work when considering a job offer from a potential employer. Anyone who is a parent of teenagers will probably not be surprised by this.
According to the survey of 17-year-olds conducted by Junior Achievement, nine out of 10 teenagers use social networks every day, with 70 percent saying they participate in social networking an hour or more daily. I can certainly testify that this happens in our house!
However more than a third of respondents said they did not consider the reactions of admission officers, future employers or their parents when posting content. Well why would they, they are kids after all. However, 16% admitted to blatantly unethical behavior such as “posting content embarrassing to others, spreading rumors and pretending to be someone other than themselves.”
Ainar D. Aijala, global managing partner, Consulting, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu rightly points out “Teens who will soon be entering the workforce must understand the value of their ‘personal brand,’ that their online postings live in perpetuity.”
Social networks may be ‘a bit of fun’ but what we post on the internet lives forever. Think before you press ’send’.
Our kids have grown up with media all around them. It is not surprising that they are gaining access to this media on an increasing basis. But children having access should mean that we try to protect them. A recent report by Ofcom investigating the media literacy among UK children shows some alarming results.
It is not surprising that households with children aged 5-15 have high levels of take-up of the main media platforms, e.g. digital TV, games consoles and the internet. What is interesting is how the data shows that children are becoming more fluent in media at a much younger age.
85% of children aged 5–7 live in a household with a games console, which is as high as 90% in households with boys.
Almost every child had access to a TV in their house, but what I found surprising was that 47% of 5-7s have access to a TV in their own bedrooms.
There has also been an increase in the number of younger children (aged 5-7) using the internet at home. Two thirds of children [66%] in this age bracket are using the internet. This increase does not appear to be the result of increased internet take-up within the home, suggesting that children in this age group are starting to use the internet at home at a younger age.
Children aged 5-7 mostly use the internet at least weekly for games (30%), schoolwork (26%) and information (15%).
The majority of parents say they trust their child to use the internet safely. However less than half of parents whose child uses the internet at home (45%) say they have internet controls or filtering software installed – fewer have set safe search settings.
The internet and digital media can be an amazing resource for our kids to learn and to play. For me the data shows an alarming trend where children can access/view content without parents being present or proper controls in place. As adults we need to make sure they are protected as well as ensuring they gain balanced access between fun and educational content.
We all know that children have a huge array of technological solutions available to them. They have a vast amount of knowledge and information available literally at their finger tips. In a recent report by OFCOM they researched how children in the UK are using technology. available here
There is no doubt that technology is a part of children’s everyday lives. Is it the responsibility of the parent or the school to support our children in learning how to use the technology effectively?
The research shows 39% of 5 -7 year olds, in the UK, use the internet everyday, rising to 49% for kids aged 8 -11 and a whopping 78% for 12 – 15 year olds. That is a lot of children online!
Parents tend to trust their children online [78% of them agreeing that they think their child uses the internet safely] and see the internet as a positive addition to their child’s life with 64% of parents with children aged 5-15 agreeing with the statement “the benefits of the internet for my child outweigh any risks”.
However 50% of parents agreed that “my child knows more about the internet than I do”.
With the growth in technology and knowledge available expanding at an exponential rate can we leave it to parents to guide their kids? What role do schools have in teaching how to use technology and how are we measuring their effectiveness?
eReaders are the new gadget that is a must have! You might be aware of the Kindle, Sony and even some others, but ever get tired of reading from the same black and white, boring reader? Well, this reader ‘ain’t your parents reader.
The New COOL-er comes in jewel tone beauty and resembles somewhat of a iPod Nano-ish flare!
What does this have to do with kids, ebooks and online reading?
Everything!!
I dont know many kids that would like a simple white Kindle that looks like the one thier mom and dad have BUT, if they can get a pink one or one the color of their favorite football team, then it makes it personal.
Just like the iPod brought kids to music, the ereader can bring kids to online books. So by providing them with the tools to get the wide range of online knowledge through ebooks they have more options, just like the iPod and Internet brought music and knowledge to life, ebooks bring reading to life, and that is magic!
