Hi, CV!

We focused recently on screens, technology and social media. We learned to be careful with our posts, to set limits on time spent online, to hold family time sacred, and to use technology by boys and girls within peer groups.

My daughter follows video personalities, so instead of wondering what she’s up to, my husband and I watch what she watches. We share laughs, and we’re assured her developing brain is fine. I still verify her claim that she’s doing homework when it looks like she’s surfing the web, though. Having a hard time finding the good in social media? Let www.parentfurther.com/technology help.

Real Life Benefits of Online Social Networking

• Kids can gain social confidence from interacting with other people online, which may help them feel more secure in new situations, such as going to college, joining a sports team and meeting new friends.

• Because social networking is constantly evolving, kids can become more familiar with new and emerging technologies, as well as increase their media literacy through exposure to many different types of online media that are shared by their friends.

• Many kids find support in online communities; this is especially true for kids who have unique interests or feel isolated.

• Online communities can be very diverse and expose your child to many new viewpoints, ideas and opinions that he or she may not be familiar with.

• Kids tend to use social networking to augment – not replace – their real-world relationships, helping them learn to communicate in many different ways.

• Keeping in touch with family members that live far away can become much easier through the use of online social networking.

Social Networking in Schools

• Social networking is becoming increasingly important in schools – Facebook, Moodle, SecondLife, Digg and other sites are often used by teachers to communicate with students or for out-of-classroom discussions.

• Youth can further explore topics that they’re interested in through online social networking.

• Teachers often take advantage of students’ social networking abilities to create class blogs, discussion forums, videos and more. By collaborating with other students and teachers through online social networking, children are able to build stronger school communities.

Suzy Jacobs
is the executive director of

CV Alliance located at 

3131 Foothill Blvd. Suite D

La Crescenta, CA 91214

(818) 646-7867  http://cv-alliance.org/

  Suzy JACOBS