{"id":28866,"date":"2012-03-17T13:51:58","date_gmt":"2012-03-17T13:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=28866"},"modified":"2012-03-25T17:04:05","modified_gmt":"2012-03-25T16:04:05","slug":"in-todays-constantly-connected-world-parents-need-to-keep-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/in-todays-constantly-connected-world-parents-need-to-keep-up\/","title":{"rendered":"In Today\u2019s Constantly Connected World, Parents Need to Keep Up"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/\/ <![CDATA[\n                                               google_ad_client = \"pub-7021221536180758\"; \/* 468x60, created 11\/11\/09 *\/ google_ad_slot = \"1949837292\"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60;\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\">The following is by G. A . &#8220;Andy&#8221; Marken, President of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.markencom.com\/index.htm\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.markencom.com\/index.htm', 'Marken Communications']);\" ><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\">Marken Communications<\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"> Inc. He has kindly given us permission to republish his thought-provoking article. As with everything that we publish at AlienBabelTech, the opinions expressed are solely those of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and the <strong>opinions of the rest of the ABT staff.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"> \u2013Mark Poppin,<\/span> <span style=\"color: #00ccff;\">ABT Senior Editor<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28867\" title=\"Untitled-1\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-19.jpg?resize=340%2C224\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-19.jpg?resize=340%2C224 340w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-19-300x197.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/strong><strong><em>\u201c<\/em><\/strong><em>You see us as you want to see us&#8230; In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain&#8230;\u201d<\/em> <strong>&#8211; Brian Johnson. \u201cThe Breakfast Club,\u201d Universal Pictures (1985)<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>Looking back on growing up in prehistoric times \u2013 pre-DVR, dial-up internet \u2013 life was easy for a kid.<\/p>\n<p>You talked to other kids, had your cliques, had the toughs and the underdogs.<\/p>\n<p>Someone always made fun of someone else; and if you were new, you were automatically an \u201coutsider.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It passed, you lived with it, you outgrew it.<\/p>\n<p>Well, it wasn\u2019t quite as bad as Allison Reynolds said, <em>\u201c<\/em><em>When you grow up, your heart dies.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s C, i, Y generations have a whole new set of opportunities, issues, problems and challenges that old folks find it difficult to understand.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s affecting a huge part of the world population.<\/p>\n<p>According to the latest census, nearly half of the world\u2019s population (about three billion) is under the age of 25; 1.2 billion are between 10 and 19.<\/p>\n<p>The tools they have today are awesome!<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-28.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Untitled-2\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-28.jpg?resize=395%2C305\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u00a0<\/em><strong>Tomorrow\u2019s Wish List <em>&#8211; <\/em><\/strong><em>Youngsters &#8212; 12 and under&#8211; from around the globe was asked to tell researchers what technologies they wanted from their future computers.\u00a0 This young girl wanted<\/em><em> to video kids on the other side of the world using a different kind of language.\u00a0 Others wanted the system to know what you were thinking and do it for you, teleport you to a systems somewhere around the globe and picture clothes\/food and make them real.\u00a0 <strong>Source \u2013 Latitude Research <\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><em><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>They watch a huge portion of their video online.\u00a0 They visit blogs and use social networking regularly.\u00a0 They own tablets.\u00a0 They own smartphones.<\/p>\n<p>To them, technology is a natural part of their lives, a natural extension of themselves and their \u201ccommunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They move easily, effortlessly between the real and virtual worlds.<\/p>\n<p>Allison Reynolds observed, <em>\u201c<\/em><em>You do everything everyone tells you to do and that is a problem.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>Electronic Devices Owned by US Children<\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-36.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Untitled-3\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-36.jpg?resize=375%2C136\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u00a0<\/em><strong>Increasingly Connected \u2013 <\/strong><em>The number of home\/mobile devices\u00a0<\/em> y<em>oung people use continues to grow.<\/em><strong>Source \u2013 AVG Technologies<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Between Two Worlds<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Last year, Innovative Research conducted a worldwide study of kids 12 and under, asking them to submit drawings of their imagined technologies.<\/p>\n<p>They wanted their technology to be more interactive, more human, better integrated with their physical lives; and they wanted it to empower them by helping them gather new knowledge, abilities.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re already heavy internet users.<\/p>\n<p>According to a couple of recent Pew Research Center studies:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8211;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 93 percent of the teens use the internet<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8211;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 52 percent of parents say their kids access social networks on the family computer<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8211;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 42 percent use their own computers<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8211;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25 percent use their cellphones<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8211;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8 percent use a tablet or handheld device<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8211;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8 percent use a friends\u2019 computer<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8211;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 5 percent use school computer<\/p>\n<p>Whether its parents wanting to provide more for their kids, peer pressure or the need to be connected, there\u2019s a major increase in kids having their own mobile device \u2013 usually a smartphone; but if they\u2019re really cool, it\u2019s also a tablet.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-45.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Untitled-4\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-45.jpg?resize=479%2C277\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Call Home <em>\u2013 <\/em><\/strong><em>The youngest members of the family initially get a featurephone so they can reach their parents and other members of the family. The parents can, in turn, reach their children.\u00a0 Children are increasingly getting smartphones sooner for all the \u201cextra\u201d features, capabilities.<\/em>\u00a0 <strong>Source \u2013 The Nielsen Company<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Kids like to mimic adults and you\u2019ve probably heard of five-year-olds (and younger) who have picked up a phone, dialed someone in the family and put them on speakerphone when the parent usually struggled to do the same thing.<\/p>\n<p>According to a Nielsen study, kids start borrowing mobile phones at eight years of age and the average age when they get their own phone is 9.7 years, down from10.1 the year before.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>Change in Communication Methods Used by Teens<\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-55.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Untitled-5\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-55.jpg?resize=329%2C193\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>More Connected <em>\u2013 <\/em><\/strong><em>In addition to being online and connected at an earlier age, studies show that the use of devices for communications increases.\u00a0 But face-to-face and personal calls still rank as the leading form of staying connected.<\/em>\u00a0 <strong>Source \u2013 ExactTarget<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Parents get the child the phone as a way to stay in touch, keep them safe.<\/p>\n<p>But of course kids use them for more things\u2026a lot more things. Not the least of which is the one area parents want to monitor\u2026social networks.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-64.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Untitled-6\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-64.jpg?resize=479%2C258\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Social Networking \u2013 <\/strong><em>Mobile internet users \u2013 young and old \u2013 use technology in a very similar pattern in the major usage categories; however, the younger crowd uses online social networking, music, games, and video content more than their older peers.<\/em>\u00a0 <strong>Source<br \/>\n\u2013 The Nielsen Company<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Struggling to Keep Pace<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>No matter how geekie a parent is, their kids are usually light years ahead of them in feeling natural using their technology.<\/p>\n<p>As Andrew said, <em>\u201c<\/em><em>We&#8217;re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that&#8217;s all.\u201d<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Today, there are private chat messages, groups, closed forums, personal SMS text and other forms of communications that are almost impossible to locate and track. As a result, many parents are clueless about what their kids are doing, what\u2019s going on in their lives.<\/p>\n<p>The key difference between growing up \u201cin the old days\u201d and today is that conversations on the way to school, when you were horsing around or in the classroom are a whole lot different than having it posted\/laid out there for the world to see\u2026literally forever.<\/p>\n<p>According to Pew Research, digital natives (C, i, Y generations) are not only willing to share information (good and bad) and that will continue as they grow older in order to stay connected and take advantage of social, economic, political opportunities.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>Willingness of Generation Y\/Millennials to Share Information<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-111.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"Untitled-11\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-111.jpg?resize=488%2C341\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Outgrow Sharing <em>\u2013 <\/em><\/strong><em>The question many social scientists are closely examining is whether or not younger users who readily disclose and share personal information will change their sharing patterns as they get older.\u00a0 The majority believe the younger generation will continue to share openly, while a minority believes they will outgrow the socializing activities and move on to more adult pursuits.<\/em>\u00a0 <strong>Source \u2013 Pew Research<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>There were mixed conclusions in the study with the majority (dark column) saying that by 2020, digital natives will continue to be ambient broadcasters who disclose personal information to stay connected.<\/p>\n<p>The light blue members of the study projected that by 2020, they will have outgrown much of their social networks, multiplayer online games and other time-consuming\/transparency-engendering online tools.<\/p>\n<p>The third column?\u00a0 Didn\u2019t have a clue.<\/p>\n<p>There are new definitions of \u201cprivate\u201d and \u201cpublic\u201d information; but the overriding issue is that once the information is there \u2013 good or bad \u2013 it\u2019s there almost forever.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hiding Places<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are tens, if not hundreds, of places where the information is stored, i.e., (blogs, social postings, YouTube videos and photos). \u00a0Even if the kids of today change their approach to what they share, yesterday\u2019s posted comments, opinions and images are pretty hard to change or erase.<\/p>\n<p>Your parents had a different outlook on life and sharing than their parents; and you have a different set of values\/views than your parents.<\/p>\n<p>Your kids are certainly different from you.<\/p>\n<p>Or, as Bender noted,<em> <\/em><em>\u201cDo you think I&#8217;d speak for you? I don&#8217;t even know your language.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This is their trial-and-error period when kids shape who they are, who they will become.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s getting tougher to monitor what your kids share and how you protect them from all the problems, hurdles they have to overcome; but it doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t try.<\/p>\n<p>And as a society we\u2019re going to have to overlook the open exuberance of their youth and make sure we\u2019re aware of the things they say and are being said about them.<\/p>\n<p>You may be a \u201clittle disappointed\u201d with them right now; but just remember, they are the only future we have.<\/p>\n<p>Today, it seems even more important to monitor and care.<\/p>\n<p>Information spreads across the web quickly and is seemingly there forever.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\">\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-83.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Untitled-8\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Untitled-83.jpg?resize=317%2C219\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>You don\u2019t want them repeating Bender, <em>\u201cI don&#8217;t even count. I could disappear forever and it wouldn&#8217;t make any difference. I might as well not even exist at this school.\u201d &#8212;\u201c<strong>The Breakfast Club\u201d<\/strong><\/em><strong> Photo Courtesy of Universal Pictures<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Remember, you want to see them get payback with kids of their own!<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"># # #<\/p>\n<p><strong>by: G.A. &#8220;Andy&#8221; Marken<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong> President<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong> Marken Communications Inc.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong> <a href=\"mailto:Andy@markencom.com\">Andy@markencom.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Please join us in our <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/abt\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\">Forums<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Become a Fan on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142', 'Facebook']);\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Follow us on <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech', 'Twitter']);\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For the latest updates from ABT, please <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?feed=rss2\" target=\"_blank\">join our RSS News Feed<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Join our Distributed Computing teams<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Folding@Home &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech &#8211; 164304<\/li>\n<li>SETI@Home &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech &#8211; 138705<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldcommunitygrid.org\/reg\/viewRegister.do?teamID=3P39R3SRV1\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.worldcommunitygrid.org\/reg\/viewRegister.do?teamID=3P39R3SRV1', 'World Community Grid &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech']);\" target=\"_blank\">World Community Grid &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The following is by G. A . &#8220;Andy&#8221; Marken, President of Marken Communications Inc. He has kindly given us permission to republish his thought-provoking article. As with everything that we publish at AlienBabelTech, the&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":396,"featured_media":28875,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2533],"tags":[4430,5118,2117,4652,7816,5117],"class_list":["post-28866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abt-news","tag-children","tag-parents","tag-security","tag-sharing","tag-technology","tag-teen-internet-use"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/396"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28866"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28866\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}