"Growing Up Online" Response

The FRONTLINE video, “Growing up Online,” produced by Rachel Dertzin, brings to light the world of internet socialization. The video examples many different ways this generation uses the online world to socialize, learn, and entertain themselves. A group of friends gather on a Friday night to play online video games, teens update their MySpace’s’, and another group watches a recent YouTube video imitating the dance. The video questions how this cyber world is contributing to the society of our young generation and claims that some 90% of the United States teens’ are online.
Danah Boyd, from the Harvard Berkman Ctr. for Internet & Society, explains, “[t]his is a generation that sees online not as a separate place you go, but as just a sort of continuation of their existence. It’s socialization, it’s learning about life.” In making this comment, Boyd argues that the way our generation interacts socially with one another is based greatly online. Author of “MySpace Unraveled,” Anne Collier, complicates matters further by saying, “[i]t’s really hard to control what you’re kids are doing online. What we have here is a kind of the new Wild West, nobody is really in charge.” Collier complains that there is no supervision in the online world.
I, myself, can agree with the argument that today’s generation is growing up largely online. Not only do I use the internet for my social life, but also for my studies and schooling, and entertainment. Yes, there is a lack of authority in the online universe but there are also great benefits. Without the internet, I probably wouldn’t be in contact with some of my friends from high school. Without the internet, I wouldn’t even be able to complete my school assignments for the reason that they are to be turned into blogs. Although the internet can be dangerous, being informed of threats as well as the internets’ advantages can make this generation worthwhile members of the online world.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/view/