Quiz time!
What happened on these dates in history?
March 22, 2002
August 1, 2003
February 4, 2004
March 21, 2006
October, 2010
If you said, “The starting dates of Friendster, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram”, you are either really tech savvy or the COOLEST DAD on Earth!
Every year new and upcoming companies try to start the “Next Great Thing” of social media. In addition, every time I turn around a new app or gizmo will keep me “connected” with the world around me. All you have to do is start an account! How many accounts do you have? How many do your kids have?
As a technology director for a church and school, I have seen the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of social media. However, I believe it has a place in our society if used properly. It can be informative, educational, and even fun. So why does it sometimes get a bad reputation? Because nobody taught us!
Let’s look at it a different way.
How do we know that playing with knives could be dangerous? Because we have seen what can happen when someone is careless with a knife. Because we understand the dangers. Because we have learned from others. EXACTLY! We LEARNED from others; we were taught how to handle and use a knife properly. Moreover, if you are one who does not use a knife, then you choose to keep yourself away from potential harm.
When it comes to social media, we ALL are the teenagers. Our maturity and experience is only, at the most, 15 years old. We, ourselves, have not had a lot of time to learn from other’s experiences, to receive wisdom and knowledge from previous generations.
So how do we help our kids navigate the challenges of social media?
The education of “How to Use” social media is ongoing. We should be aware and proactive when it comes to helping our kids. Following are three items I like to share and discuss with my daughters and my students.