My daughters (19 and 16 years) have on occasion over the last two
years of my studies concluded that I was learning about things they already
knew about and in some cases they were right. And when I had question about how
to do something, I’d ask them, and sometimes they’d share something cool/ new
that they had learned of. As Jenkins notes, relationships are different now and
the roles may be reversed with a younger person advising an older one.
Certainly as immigrant and natives we have a “difference in experience” as
Jenkins says.
Jenkins advises that adults have a responsibility to get
online with their kids, to direct and share their experiences, just like they
go to their children’s soccer games. The
solution is not to cut off their access to the net and benefits of
online participation.
I agree. I supported my children’s online experience through
the provision of computers, high speed internet, cell phones, iPods and then
smartphones. At some point early on,
their knowledge of how and what they could do online overtook my knowledge.
About five years ago, my eldest daughter took to a social
media site called Nexopia. Fortunately she shared it with me and we were able
to talk a bit about the reality of the internet and what was appropriate.
However one of her friends was not so wary - flaunting seductive poses in her
profile pic, and then bragging online about her prank at school that then got
her in trouble. This same friend had more than 1000 friends on Nexopia, the privacy
setting of sharing with “friends and their friends” probably left it pretty
open to predators. (Note the recent story about Nexopia and privacy.)
Kids do try roles on, online, and do make mistakes there.
And they need to know appropriate `netiquette‘ (as Adora Svitak counselled
Howard Rheingold).
Jenkins discusses “cosplay” as a skill of networking. Chloe
is a girl who likes sewing and dressing up in anime character costumes and
through this cosplay she develops her networking skill. Coincidentally, this
also describes my 18-year-old niece, Chloe.
Multi-tasking is also a skill to participate in the online
world according to Jenkins. This comes naturally to the girls. The challenge is to effectively manage their
attention on the right things. This is a definitely a skill or a discipline to
be nurtured.
Appropriation is a skill that requires the digital native to
understand the difference between cutting and pasting text into your essay, and
appropriating and remixing content for the purposes of creativity. (Second
daughter learned this one in grade 10!)
In spite of what little guidance and teaching we parents
were able to provide, I estimate that my daughters are well equipped to
participate online and receive the benefit from this resource. I did enjoy
helping my daughter find a citation online for Nietzsche this afternoon. Seems
there are still a few things I can show them!
