I think real life is always better than virtual reality. This seems to be part of the reason so many homeschoolers are “losing” their children to everything that comes along.
“Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans, encourage instant gratification and make young people more self-centered.”
I think this is true in adults as well as in children. It makes a person dull and they lose their ability to interact well with others it seems. Some people can’t carry on a conversation because they no longer have the patience to listen, and would like to “click out” of real life communications.
Years ago parents turned their televisions off or had them disconnected from cable for the same reason. But if that has been replaced by something even quicker and more alluring and interactive, I don’t see much difference. In fact, I think it may even be worse… but it has become acceptable.
Like Christine’s family, we were also convicted about being online a few years ago and stopped the kids blogs very quickly after 2 had started blogs with our consent for specific reasons. We quickly saw how addictive it could be and how you cannot control who is communicating with you. It is like playing with fire and hoping not to be burned, and/or like throwing your children into the peer groups of public schools only it’s done virtually, the comments received were perpetuating the things we had wanted to avoid in homeschooling.
All of our children have opted not to be on there. They’ve heard of too many people who got on there and changed… not in a Christ-like direction. Tragic stories are plentiful from families that seemed so dedicated to Christian values prior to getting the internet. We never did the three things mentioned in the article, but anything that controls people other than Christ, is not good.
We still have a computer. Only one online at a specific place in the dining room. As mom, all e-mail goes through me first. We have every filter we can get. Only I know the “code” to turn it off and on, etc.
I check your blog and one other regularly– friends who I know personally. I used to read lots of blogs and people would send me links all the time that I would check out. But that was not the best use of my time, it was more of a waste of time with no redeeming purpose. Even when there were untrue things being said about our family from people we had never met nor had any communications with, I gave up reading it… what could be done anyway? I think a wise man helped me when he said: “let the dead bury the dead, you follow Christ!”—his initials are: H.B.
We mainly use the computer for e-mail, research, and news–and to find items we aren’t able to get locally. It is hard in this time because it is so much a part of the society. At this point our children do not plan to have a connection in their future homes. They plan to go to the library or to our house if they need to use it. That seems a wise way to go, we hope they will find spouses that believe the same way, but it may be hard to find in this day and age.
The internet can be good to get out announcements, keep in contact with family and real life friends, and there are some good things written that encourage us. I enjoy listening to lots of sermons online. But we do need to consider whether or not the good is worth all the bad and negative that goes along with it.
It’s very difficult if a person’s business is internet based.
Perhaps the answer is balance, though there does not appear to be much of that any more in any area of society.
1 Cor.6:12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
But we who are in Christ have the hope!
Phil. 3: 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame–who set their mind on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
I read this with interest because I always wonder. My 12 yo is very social…has been since birth. She has a facebook but is very limited on the times she can use it. It is basically like talking on the phone for her.
My 9 year old is not social. She like other kids well enough- but she plays best alone…loves to read…and has very little computer time. Would being bookish be considered “self centered?”
I was a huge bookworm from about the age of 9 until 13 or 14. I was more likely to be reading a book than playing outside. We didn’t have too much TV in the 60’s and 70’s to be worrying about. I wonder what the difference is as far as becoming properly socialized…between books, phone,TV, Facebook, whatever. Some kids simply are not very good communicators until they reach adulthood. They used to be called “loners” and I don’t see anything wrong with that. I also wonder about teachers getting older and less patient- or just the standards/salaries being so low that quality teachers are not available in public schools. “ADD” is usually a label for misbehavior overall these days. And the treatment is fairly dangerous at best. Do you know what your kid is taking, besides the name?
I don’t think the one study and two references (one from an unknown teacher)are enough to warrant a scare about social networking sites. The Baroness needs to do a real long term study on her own, and then make the claims.
I think the report is true, specially the part about social interaction and self-centered relations.
I think real life is always better than virtual reality. This seems to be part of the reason so many homeschoolers are “losing” their children to everything that comes along.
“Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans, encourage instant gratification and make young people more self-centered.”
I think this is true in adults as well as in children. It makes a person dull and they lose their ability to interact well with others it seems. Some people can’t carry on a conversation because they no longer have the patience to listen, and would like to “click out” of real life communications.
Years ago parents turned their televisions off or had them disconnected from cable for the same reason. But if that has been replaced by something even quicker and more alluring and interactive, I don’t see much difference. In fact, I think it may even be worse… but it has become acceptable.
Like Christine’s family, we were also convicted about being online a few years ago and stopped the kids blogs very quickly after 2 had started blogs with our consent for specific reasons. We quickly saw how addictive it could be and how you cannot control who is communicating with you. It is like playing with fire and hoping not to be burned, and/or like throwing your children into the peer groups of public schools only it’s done virtually, the comments received were perpetuating the things we had wanted to avoid in homeschooling.
All of our children have opted not to be on there. They’ve heard of too many people who got on there and changed… not in a Christ-like direction. Tragic stories are plentiful from families that seemed so dedicated to Christian values prior to getting the internet. We never did the three things mentioned in the article, but anything that controls people other than Christ, is not good.
We still have a computer. Only one online at a specific place in the dining room. As mom, all e-mail goes through me first. We have every filter we can get. Only I know the “code” to turn it off and on, etc.
I check your blog and one other regularly– friends who I know personally. I used to read lots of blogs and people would send me links all the time that I would check out. But that was not the best use of my time, it was more of a waste of time with no redeeming purpose. Even when there were untrue things being said about our family from people we had never met nor had any communications with, I gave up reading it… what could be done anyway? I think a wise man helped me when he said: “let the dead bury the dead, you follow Christ!”—his initials are: H.B.
We mainly use the computer for e-mail, research, and news–and to find items we aren’t able to get locally. It is hard in this time because it is so much a part of the society. At this point our children do not plan to have a connection in their future homes. They plan to go to the library or to our house if they need to use it. That seems a wise way to go, we hope they will find spouses that believe the same way, but it may be hard to find in this day and age.
The internet can be good to get out announcements, keep in contact with family and real life friends, and there are some good things written that encourage us. I enjoy listening to lots of sermons online. But we do need to consider whether or not the good is worth all the bad and negative that goes along with it.
It’s very difficult if a person’s business is internet based.
Perhaps the answer is balance, though there does not appear to be much of that any more in any area of society.
1 Cor.6:12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
But we who are in Christ have the hope!
Phil. 3: 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame–who set their mind on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
I read this with interest because I always wonder. My 12 yo is very social…has been since birth. She has a facebook but is very limited on the times she can use it. It is basically like talking on the phone for her.
My 9 year old is not social. She like other kids well enough- but she plays best alone…loves to read…and has very little computer time. Would being bookish be considered “self centered?”
I was a huge bookworm from about the age of 9 until 13 or 14. I was more likely to be reading a book than playing outside. We didn’t have too much TV in the 60’s and 70’s to be worrying about. I wonder what the difference is as far as becoming properly socialized…between books, phone,TV, Facebook, whatever. Some kids simply are not very good communicators until they reach adulthood. They used to be called “loners” and I don’t see anything wrong with that. I also wonder about teachers getting older and less patient- or just the standards/salaries being so low that quality teachers are not available in public schools. “ADD” is usually a label for misbehavior overall these days. And the treatment is fairly dangerous at best. Do you know what your kid is taking, besides the name?
I don’t think the one study and two references (one from an unknown teacher)are enough to warrant a scare about social networking sites. The Baroness needs to do a real long term study on her own, and then make the claims.