If I had not learned as much as I have during the past couple months about SNS and web 2.0, I might have reacted to the Frontline video like an emotional parent. I'd be worried about my two teenage daughters online 'life' and possibly doing my best to invade their privacy. But, two things stand out in my mind that prevent this.
First of all, this video, while factual, seems to focus on the negatives without ever providing facts as to what percentage of teens fall into these negative traps. The video only once, and very briefly, mentioned that a study was done by the Dept of Justice, confirming that kids usually know what to watch out for.
The second thing that sticks in my mind is that the horrific examples used in the video all seemed to include a degree of distrust/disconnect with their parents. When the PTO mom reacted to the pics and videos of her son and other students who attended a concert, she managed to push her son even farther away. To me, this is the real challenge. Whether it be via technology or around the dinner table, as parents and as teachers we need to make sure that kids know that can come to us - whether for help or just to vent - and that we will do our best to protect them. They need to know that we care about the person they are, not just about the person we want them to be.
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Your highly eloquent response to the video expresses some of the same thoughts I had about it. You are correct, I think, that the video seemed to focus too much on the negative. It did show danah boyd but what was the point of spending so much time with a classroom teacher who was an avowed non-user of technology? She is becoming much more of an abberation in the classroom of today, I am afraid to say. Great post.
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