Whats a matter wid deez kidz today?
Most TV programs about the generation divide between today's parents and their teenage kids are designed to scare the beejeezus out of the parents, and bore the pants off the kids. Frontline's program, Growing Up Online, does neither, which is why it is an important bit of documentary for all parties concerned.
It seems that each generation struggles with the distinctions among three crucial aspects of identity and persona - the public, the personal and the private. We have written about these distinctions before, but what this film brings into sharp relief is just how much technology plays into how we construct those three - sometimes overlapping - identities.
The film actually is fair and balanced. It shows some of the pitfalls and promises in store for our children, who take the Internet, and Facebook, and MySpace for granted every bit as much as we took TV for granted. Whatever technology is on the scene when we arrive has always been on the scene.
One intriguing backstory in the film, though, is how comfortable the adults are speaking on camera about how uncomfortable they are with their children posting pictures and video clips of themselves online. Odd how each generation sees new technology as disruptive instead of cumulative.
But all that is a bit abstract. This is an important documentary for any parent with young children and teenagers to watch - carefully.
Question: Do you know where your kids are?
Answer: Yes. They are online...and IMing...and Txting...and Gaming...