A New Society

When I was growing up, the technology that we have today in the form of smart phones and even the internet, was just starting to be introduced. I recall receiving my very first phone in about fourth grade. It was a small black and gray Nokia phone that could fit in the palm of my hand. It did not have color, it did not light up, it did not have a keyboard, it did not have a touch screen, and I did not even have the ability to send text messages. My first cell phone was used strictly for keeping in contact with my parents. As time progressed and technology advanced, my phones came with increasing access to the world outside of my own little bubble. I remember my first flip phone, my first phone that had an LED lit screen, my first phone that had a full keyboard to make texting easier, and I absolutely remember my first phone that allowed me to gain access to the internet.

With the world of technology changing so rapidly, my parents felt the need to play a major role in policing my cell phone usage and internet access when I was young. They put curfews on the phones of my siblings and I through the phone company. I recall the way my phone would “shut down” for the night every night at 9:00pm. After 9:00pm, there were no more incoming or outgoing calls, texts, or internet usage. These restrictions went away once 7:00am rolled around because that’s what time I woke up for school every day. “This is only for your own good” my mom would explain every time I complained to her about how lame it was to have time restrictions on my phone. I was also restricted from engaging in online social sites such as MySpace. At the time, I was extremely upset about having to deal with so many limitations, but now I am thankful for them.

Today kids are growing up with smart phones, internet, and social media. They do not know the world without it. On one hand, they are lucky to be born into such a technologically advanced society, but on the other hand, they can be exposed to sometimes dangerous situations at a young age. One day one of my male friends called me in a complete panic because his parents found out that his ten year old sister had a secret Instagram account. “My mom went into her direct messages and saw that she was talking to some forty year old man in Florida” My friend exclaimed over the phone. “He was even commenting sexual things on her photos. It made me sick.” he went on to say. My friend’s sister’s situation is just one example of the way in which unmonitored phone and internet use can potentially be harmful to young kids. According to Jeana Tahnk in her Parenting magazine article, the level of social engagement kids have online increases the risks of cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, and sexting. Tahnk goes on to give a few ideas on how to monitor internet and social media use of children. She recommends no underage social media use (under the age of 13), checking the privacy settings, using a filtering software, and setting ground rules. I think that all of these suggestions are key to monitoring phone and internet use and ultimately protecting kids from dangers they may not be aware of.