What We Did This Weekend:
Internet Safety
Friday night we attended an internet safety seminar put on by our stake. It was a little bit scary. We were both uneasy when we left the meeting, but I was glad that we don't currently have any teens or tweens of our own. Then again, I was also worried about what this same type of meeting will cover in 10-15 years when we do. The first thing I did Saturday morning was to go into my Facebook security settings and make sure they were all set to "Only Friends."
The meeting was geared towards protecting our kids from the dangers of being online. There is so much to think about. After hearing about all of the things that parents have to be aware of, and that the kids need to try to avoid, it struck me how much has changed since I was in high school. The information age moves fast.
I remember using encyclopedias and 3x5 notecards to prepare reports in high school. I remember how cool my Nike day planner was, with its "The Far Side" inserts. Back then you were "too cool for school" if you had a pager. Whoa. You mean someone could call your pager and no matter where you are, your pager will tell you they need to get ahold of you, and you could find a phone and call them right back? I don't remember seeing a single cell phone in school. And iPods weren't invented until 2001, more than three years after I graduated, and I full year after returning from my mission. I remember carrying around my personal CD player and my entire collection of CDs to play in it (all 12 of them).
Add eroding values and moral relativism to all of the technological advances and what you get is not pretty. I don't see technology slowing down, and all indications point to continued societal degradation. It has to be tough for the youth to keep themselves unspotted from the world. They have to be really strong. And, perhaps most importantly, they have to feel safe and protected from it all when they are at home. Families are so important, and it makes me sick how they are constantly under attack.
It's thinking about all of this sort of junk that makes me believe that our challenges are every bit as difficult as the challenges faced by the pioneers. It's just the nature of those challenges are different. But I tell you what, at times pulling a handcart across the plains seems like a welcome escape.
Go to the board!
The meeting was geared towards protecting our kids from the dangers of being online. There is so much to think about. After hearing about all of the things that parents have to be aware of, and that the kids need to try to avoid, it struck me how much has changed since I was in high school. The information age moves fast.
I remember using encyclopedias and 3x5 notecards to prepare reports in high school. I remember how cool my Nike day planner was, with its "The Far Side" inserts. Back then you were "too cool for school" if you had a pager. Whoa. You mean someone could call your pager and no matter where you are, your pager will tell you they need to get ahold of you, and you could find a phone and call them right back? I don't remember seeing a single cell phone in school. And iPods weren't invented until 2001, more than three years after I graduated, and I full year after returning from my mission. I remember carrying around my personal CD player and my entire collection of CDs to play in it (all 12 of them).
Add eroding values and moral relativism to all of the technological advances and what you get is not pretty. I don't see technology slowing down, and all indications point to continued societal degradation. It has to be tough for the youth to keep themselves unspotted from the world. They have to be really strong. And, perhaps most importantly, they have to feel safe and protected from it all when they are at home. Families are so important, and it makes me sick how they are constantly under attack.
It's thinking about all of this sort of junk that makes me believe that our challenges are every bit as difficult as the challenges faced by the pioneers. It's just the nature of those challenges are different. But I tell you what, at times pulling a handcart across the plains seems like a welcome escape.
Go to the board!
I know! That meeting was all things you know, but still eye opening at the same time. We came home and checked all of our privacy settings as well.
ReplyDeleteYes i DO have a teen in my house! It scares me everyday. Almost wish the internet hadn;t been invented at all sometimes. Especially social network pages! Too many weirdos out there. Can't wait to see you guys! Mom
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