Week 2 - Kids on the Internet

I thought that the video from PBS about kids growing up on the Internet was so interesting, entertaining, and thought provoking. It was such a broad video and encompassed many of the things that parents worry about involving the internet and children. It was heartbreaking to hear about the boy who committed suicide because of cyberbullying. Many parents were scared because of the privacy that the kids have and the secret lives they could be living. The mother who had the computer in the kitchen was doing it the right way because she could see what her kids were doing. As to where some parents admitted that they had computers in their kids rooms and were not always able to keep an eye on them. They even looked into schools and what they are doing using the new technology and how they can grasp the attention of their students. I was shocked to hear about the secret world "Autumn" was living in on MySpace with her parents having not idea. Although the internet can be frightening it is something parents should talk to their children about and educate them on how to use the internet safely.

This applies to advertising and in fact it was even briefly mentioned by a teacher. Since kids and adults are shifting their media habits to the computer, advertising agencies and experts have had to figure out how to promote products on the internet. Teens are watching less TV and are spending more time on the internet. How do advertisers reach these teens using this relatively new medium?

I found a brief but very interesting video on Youtube click here to watch it. I liked it because it wasn't discussed in the TV segment that we watched for class. However it looked at factors in middle school students that would make them more likely to be addicted to the internet. I could see how someone with ADHD is more apt to be addicted because there is so much to do on the internet. And the same thing for a girl who is depressed because they might be looking for people to reach out to on the internet.