If we are to believe much of the media, every child, especially those secondary school plus, has their nose buried in a screen 24/7, are being abducted via Facebook, giving away all their information, sexting, running up bills, becoming couch potatoes, watching porn, meeting strangers and bullying and trolling at every opportunity.
I exaggerate, but then so does the media. By its very nature, the news is looking for the new, the dangerous, the salacious, and the threatening – all things that the digital world offers up, because it is part of the ‘real world’. Every time a major new technology is introduced, we’ll see that there are what are known as ‘moral panics’: a feeling that things are moving too fast, and that control has been lost.
One thing we hear a lot is that children are ‘digital natives’, who are confident in every aspect of digital technology. This may leave those responsible for them feeling that they can’t be truly involved or manage the online environment. There is, however, a wide range of attitudes to technology amongst children: some love it, some hate it, some are ‘meh’ about it, and others just see it as a tool. The more confident those working with children can become about the technology, and see the positive potential that it offers, the more that we can guide children’s thinking about using technology, and interacting in the digital environment, and offer opportunities to use the technology in a safe space. We need to understand the realities of the situation online, to ensure that debates about child digital safety are balanced with an understanding of how children truly engage with the digital spaces, and an appreciation of the benefits of digital engagement.
Come to my session at Youthwork the Conference to continue the conversation: How do those raising children in the contemporary world –parents, relatives, teachers, and youth workers – gain confidence in the digital environment? How do all enjoy the best whilst avoiding the worst, both for themselves, and those they are responsible for?