On [Web] Community, Part I

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I've had this conversation a couple of times with technology workers who have kids. The gist of it is this:

They prefer to keep their kids somewhat isolated from technology, from having a computer to cell phones of their own, to instant messaging to FaceBook or MySpace pages. I'll ask them why and the response is that they don't want them to be like all the other kids who seem preoccupied with texting, communicating via MySpace/FaceBook, and IM. They want their kids to go outside and have live, in-person interaction with other kids.

I can see this from their perspective. I grew up in a small western Montana town where we played baseball and football in the back yard in the summer until it got dark. We rode our bikes all over town in small gangs. We played with firecrackers and all kinds of other good things. I really cherish those memories and hope that my kids have those kinds of memories. We had a community of friends and a certain loyalty to one another and our hometown.

Now, it's rare to see a kid over 10 without a cell phone and not able to actively carry on 6 or more IM sessions simultaneously. Childhood obesity is also at all-time highs as well. I'm not blaming the obesity on the pervasiveness technology but many people do.

As I see it a huge cultural shift is underway. Kids have adopted technology, there's no denying it. Some have embraced it with a death-grip even. While most of the kids already know their text and IM friends from real-life interactions, many of us do not know in person our forum-buddies in discussing things from antiques to tweaking an operating system to do what we want to working on vintage Airstream trailers. Either way, there is a new community that has arisen on-line. No, it's not the same as a block-party with your neighbor, but it's more like hanging out on the porch with someone who is as interested and knowledgeable as you might ever hope to meet on your area of interest.

While I don't discourage anyone from going for a hike or camping with their kids, I'd be hesitant to keep the kids too far removed from technology. If they aren't familiar with it and communicating when their friends are, they might be missing out on the new social skills, potential work skills, and most importantly, community. It kind of reminds me of the family we grew up with whose parents didn't have a television and disavowed sugar; they'd come to visit us and we couldn't peel them away from the TV or the cookie jar. Like most things, it's all about balance. I think we need to respect many traditions and pastimes but don't forget to look around the present and the future.