The Twitter Trap

Now I'm off to look up those words, Jenn.

Books. Not words. I'm quite sure I didn't use any words you don't know. And I think it's "4 realz" ... but I'm not down with the kid lingo.

[Ladybug]

Ohhhhhhh...see it's affecting my reading too, Kris. LOL.

[Pollyanna]

Social media, texting, blogging, YouTube, yadda, yadda, yadda, is here to stay. I think our challenge is not to hyper analyze it or demonize it (not referring to this discussion but the books articles, etc), but to take an honest look at this form of communication and figure out a way to make it fit within our lives in a healthy way. Once we do that we will be able to teach our children. I thinking stepping away from it completely is unhealthy too because it is a mode of communication that is becoming the norm, at some point (maybe years down the line) you will get left behind. My mom is 73 and does it all, texting, soon to be on facebook, does tons of stuff on the computer and internet, etc. She has ALWAYS kept up with technology. Years ago when computers were a big thing and then the internet became the norm many of her friends poo-pooed the idea for many of the reasons cited in this discussion. Flash-forward 20 years and those woman are now so behind, they refused to learn and now they have trouble functioning in society. Even something as simple as finding a business in the phonebook is hard for them because many businesses no longer use the phonebook, they do everything via a web site so if you don't understand the technology you will have difficulty. These women complain that their children want to send emails or texts and think it is too impersonal. So they end up with very little contact because their children don't have time for hour long conversations on a daily basis. In essence, they have cut themselves off from interacting with the world in the here and now and have become depressed because of it. They feel left behind and out of the loop.
Clearly there are HUGE pitfalls to the internet, social media, texting, etc, but they are not insurmountable. I think creating a place in your life where you continue to grow, learn, and welcome discovery is healthy and can enrich your life in ways you thought not possible. iMSN being a perfect example. Many of us spend probably way too much time on here and we have all tried to learn and balance it within our lives. At the same time the relationships that I have developed have enriched my life in ways I never thought possible and I would not trade that for the world, even if at times my life and time on iMSN become out of balance.

[SuzySunshine]

Tara, that is exactly what is happening to my MIL and she's only in her mid-50's. Even my DH's grandmother has a fb account because she knows its the best way to keep up with her grandkids and great grandkids but MIL doesn't and she gets mad when she finds out something from someone else that is on fb.

[PrincessFiona]

I agree to a point, Tara. I do think that we need to analyze the pitfalls so that we can use it for enjoyment/valuable content and still lead healthy lives. I know too many people sucked onto the Internet for many hours a day. I used to be too. That's why I'm currently analyzing it. I think we should for sure embrace the new technology ... and that we should learn as much as we can about the pitfalls in order to help our children learn to use it in a healthy way.

Kris


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[houseelf]

My issue is that as a thirty something, my internet usage is not always healthy or enriching. I have a hard time controlling it. How do I teach good connectivity values to my children who are far more bombarded with social media when I myself struggle?

I have to be the person I want my children to become. In this arena, I am not that example and I feel like I have to get it figured out asap.