Response to "Growing Up Online"

"Growing Up Online" is a video that was produced and directed by Rachel Dretzin and John Maggio. This video is a view into a teenage child’s social networks and life.

Many students in the video spend as much time away from their families as possible to hide their online activities. this worries the parents because none of them really have any idea what their children are doing, or even who their friends with. what they do know is "[I]f it's not online the kids don't pay attention to it". many parents in the video expressed concern for their children and claim that they need to keep a better watch on their kids, that there are "weirdos" out there. while parents worry about this most if not all the students in the video are worried about their parents finding and going through their private things. most of the students claimed having a "double life" that they are one person in front of their parents but feel like they are faking who that person is; these students are completely different online when they talk to their friends.

Basically this video shows how most people act differently on their computers because there is always others like them somewhere that they can always talk to. and this frightens parents.

If I thought the internet was interfering with anything it wouldn't be communication, I believe that online places to talk are great and that everyone needs someone they can talk to. I think the internet is taking away from our home lives; that most people spend as much time online as they want, neglecting their family, friends, and responsibilities. from personal experience, I have a cousin who if she's not on the phone she's on MySpace. none of really get any time with her, her online friends do, but we don't.

my personal opinion is that many people use the internet as an escape from reality, but what most people don't realize is that the internet is just exposing them to more and sometimes worse things than real life has to offer. almost every time I talk to one of my friends they are talking about some new online drama; it's usually "I was talking to this person on MySpace..." or "you're never going to believe this E-mail I got!” the internet is making peoples lives more complicated than it need be.