Appropriate Use of Social Technologies

We started our conversation last week with the girls about their experiences using social technologies (cell phones, texting, IM, MySpace, Facebook, etc.). We had a great class conversation about their own and their families' norms concerning the use of these technologies. This week, we took a look at a PBS Frontline special from earlier this year called "Growing Up Online." It gave portraits of many of the dilemmas faced by youth and their parents in wrestling with social technologies, such as screen time, cyberbullying, online safety, and digital privacy. The girls were completely lit up by the portrayals and dug into the conversation that followed (you can click here to watch the show online and find more resources).

On Wednesday, they started a critical analysis of several articles dealing with these same issues and will be presenting their findings back to their classmates on Monday followed by further class conversation. All of this work will be leading to a conversation with you about appropriate computer use at home. We encourage you to read the articles, as well, so that you can be up to speed and prepared for these conversations (you can find them here, here, here, and here).

For those of you who are going to be participating in our computer rental or purchase programs, we are requiring that you and your daughters have an expicit understanding of your rules and norms for your daughters' computer use at home. We'll ask that you make a contract stating these norms that is signed by both you and her. We will be providing a template to get you started on this path, but the actual content of the agreement is for your family to decide and should come from your own understandings and relationships. We'll be posting more on this in the coming weeks.