Download - Social Media's Anti-Socialization Myth
From the blog
Middle Class Tech
Social Media’s
anti-Socialization
Myth
During a kitchen table conversation
regarding the effect of internet-connected mobile devices and social
media on the six grandchildren
in her house
…my mother-in-law asserted that
these elements were detrimental
to the face-to-face socialization
opportunities and practices of the ten to fourteen-
year-olds scurrying around her
She was concerned about the amount of
time they were spending using their
iPod Touches and iPads to engage in social media using services like Snapchat,
Instagram, Kik, and Vine
I've heard this perspective
shared by others—often older folks or
those who engage with
technology less than the
average person
Many simply don't share the
wanderlust of modern
millennials toward their back pocket devices and
wi-fi-connected touchscreens
It's an attitude and fear that is
increasingly pervasive among
paranoid helicopter
parents and those who spent the bulk of their
lives without this technology
Unfortunately, ignorance
breeds fear
Myriad online virtual communities
are not corrupting the social skills
and manners of our children;
I contend that they are
enhancing these skills
Before you call BS, let me
explain
Via school, marching band,
volunteer activities, neighborhood
friends, shopping, the library, etc,
the average middle-class child
gets plenty of face-to-face socialization
Instead of replacing in-person
interactions, mobile
device-based social media
are
actually supplementing
them
We're augmenting what we've
always done as humans
We're still sitting around
camp fires telling scary
stories
But we're now also telling
those stories on Tumblr, Facebook,
WordPress, and Twitter
My 13-year-old daughter can
slam out text on her iPod Touch faster than any
human I've witnessed
But this mastery doesn't
come cheap
This girl has spent
much time locked into her mobile
device
Sucking down virtual
companionship and cultural enrichment
Considering the huge investment
of time and effort she's
made in these app-based
networking services
Are my daughter‘s social skills
lacking?
Hardly—
she's probably the most
social member
of my family
She has twice the social skills of some Amish
kid cruelly deprived of technology
and modern social media
All without negatively
affecting her grades or volunteer activities
Not only does social media
not put a ding in the real-world
social skills of these kids
Social media often directly enhances the
social skills of children
The virtual social media world feeds
our "face-to-face" reality
And vice
versa
Ignoring such a detailed
dynamic gets a Luddite
button pinned to
your chest
Some kids are really
social
It will show in both
their physical
and virtual social worlds
Which will surely
interact
Other kids are shy or
introverted
A virtual or social media-based
existence allows those who
may lack self-confidence
to engage with likeminded
others
Interactions possibly too intimidating if performed face-to-face
Working with social media
"training wheels" may actually help
young people engage in
real life
Proving to them that they can
successfully conduct and gain
enrichment from interactions
with others
Having options is
good
Today, our kids have more varied
and dynamic social
opportunities than at any time in the
history of humans
Our children's socialization
skills are surely critical as they
mature
Is negatively criticizing young
people for harnessing
social media to interact
and share ideas
Across borders, cultures,
and stigmas
Really the approach we want to take?
The author kindly requests
that you check out
Home Theater
for the Internet Age
Other Books by Curt Robbins
Understanding Personal Data Security
Understanding Digital Music
Understanding Cutting the Cord
Understanding Home Theater
About Curt Robbins
Blog: Middle Class Tech
Flipboard magazine: Middle Class Tech
Twitter: @CurtRobbins