Growing Up Online

“Growing Up Online” is a documentary about the effects the internet is having on today’s young people and the concerns of their parents and teachers.  
1. A survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that in 2004, 67 percent of parents said the Internet has been a good thing for their children. However, this number decreased to 59 percent in 2006. Why do you think the number of parents who reported the Internet being a good thing for their children has decreased?
I think the number of positive responders in regards to internet usage by their children has decreased due to new websites geared to teenagers.  As Myspace and Facebook started to become more popular among young people, parents started seeing more questionable use of the computer by their children.  Due to these concerns, fewer parents are seeing the internet as a good thing for their children.   

2. More teachers are using tools to try to detect cheating or deter students’ inclination to cheat. In the program, we see the use of plagiarism-detection tools like Turnitin.com and writing assignments completed during class time to make sure students do their own work and generate their own ideas. In terms of student writing, what are some different types of "cheating"? What are the elements you would include in your definition of "cheating"?
Due to the fact that it is so readily available, students are tempted to cheat on their writing assignments.  Students will try to plagiarize in some way.  Prior to Turnitin.com, students could fairly easily get by with copying and pasting someone else’s words and using them as their own.  Students continue to try to use someone else’s words as their own by changing their sequence or inserting a few of their own words into the sentence.  Another way students cheat in writing without using plagiarism, is to use someone else’s ideas.  Instead of thinking for themselves, they get the ideas from someone else and then write it in their own words.  
I believe cheating is receiving or trying to receive credit for work that really is not yours.  I would go as far as to say, cheating is anything a student does that shortchanges their education, because in reality, they are cheating themselves.  

3. One student claims he "never reads books" but relies on summaries and annotated notes he finds on Web sites. He confesses that he feels guilty about this, stating, "I feel like I kind of cheated it." Should he feel guilty? Why or why not?
This student absolutely should feel guilty about his behavior because he is cheating.  He is turning in incomplete work with the intentions of receiving credit for the complete assignment.  When a student is given an assignment to read a book, there is a lot more involved in this experience than just learning what the story is about and being able to answer a few questions.  There is a lot of learning that happens when students read which is why teachers give reading assignments.  Unfortunately, a lot of students do not understand the value of a real education.  They try to get from point A to point B which as little effort and time as possible.  They do not understand and appreciate all of the learning that takes place between these two points.  

4. Before the Internet, in order to be seen by the world, you had to be portrayed in some form of mass media, and you had to be famous in some respect -- in the news, in politics or as a celebrity. Now anyone can be seen online by anyone else in the world. Some people have become famous for videos or photos they’ve posted (such as Autumn Edows). What are the positive and negative consequences of blurring the line between being a celebrity and a regular person?
The internet has given more people the opportunity to be recognized for a talent and to actually become famous for it. If a person is a talented singer, they might post a Youtube video of them singing and receive hundreds of positive, encouraging comments from strangers. This really helps them grow in their confidence.  They might never become a famous singer, but online they can.
As far as being one person in the real world and another online can have positive and negative effects.  Using Autumn as an example, the positive effect was that her confidence in herself really grew.  Young people struggle with how they feel about themselves based on what others say about them.  Online, she was able to express a side of herself that she could not in the real world.  A negative consequence is that she is living a double life.  This can add a lot of pressure to an already challenging time in her life.  She can become very confused as to who she really is and live a life that is a lie.  Although it might be fun for awhile, eventually it could lead to her not knowing who she really is and being able to accept herself.

5. Shows like "To Catch a Predator" on Dateline NBC contribute to parental anxiety about online media. What elements of this FRONTLINE program are likely to increase parents’ fears? What elements of the program might be reassuring?
One element of this Frontline program that could increase parents’ fears is the story about the girl who struggled with an eating disorder. This is fearful because it seems to communicate that there is no limit as to what children are able to access online.  There are so many negative issues that children may be exposed to as they grow up that it is scary to know there are websites that encourage them in destructive behaviors.  Another story that would cause parental fear, is about the boy who met a stranger online who encouraged him to commit suicide.  
Parents would be reassured by the comments that the students made about potential online predators.  Everyone who spoke about the issue seemed to be well aware of the problem and seemed to know how to respond if a stranger tried to communicate with them.  The students communicated that their online activity is with their friends.  

6. Teasing, lying, gossiping, threatening, spreading rumors or harassing online (and offline)can severely affect people’s self-concept and self-esteem and have an impact on their emotional state. In the program, we see one girl who describes flirting with boys and then revealing she was just kidding. She explains: "You wouldn’t do that to someone’s face, but online is completely different. ... No one can do anything. You’re at your house, they’re at their house." What are some of the short- and longer-term consequences of this behavior for life online and in the real world?
Young people are choosing to treat others online in ways they never would if face to face.  Everyone has times when they become upset with someone.  With the use of the internet, teens are much more likely to vent their frustration or anger in some way.  When it used to have to be done face to face or behind a person’s back, it was a lot more mild and often just forgotten.  Now, teens are becoming bolder and meaner because they feel there won’t be a consequence to their behavior since it is done in privacy. Another consequence of this behavior is that a lot more people get involved in the drama leading to escalation.  Teens are dealing with a lot more bullying than ever before and they are often dealing with it alone since a lot of parents are not a part of their child’s online life.  This has been shown to lead to great problems with the most horrific being suicide.  Since the teens who are bullying are being able to do it privately, they are doing it more frequently and being more extreme with their meanness.  
A long term consequence is how this all affects a person’s self esteem.  The damage done to how a person feels about him or herself can carry on into their adulthood. Another consequence of this behavior is that is can follow the perpetrator. As they grow older, they will have to deal with the fact that they were so mean to someone else.   Also, future employers have the ability to access their online activity from the past.

7. At the end of the program, Greg decides it’s time for him to "disconnect" by going to the Coast Guard Academy, where he will spend seven weeks without cell phones or the Internet. Have you ever thought about "disconnecting" from it all? Do you think it would be easy or difficult? What would you enjoy or dislike about disconnecting?
I have never thought about “disconnecting” from it all, because I do not feel that it is an obsession for me.  Although, I do think it would be difficult to do because it has become such a way of life.  I have become accustomed to being able to contact friends and family so easily that I do not plan ahead like I once did. I also think it would be difficult because people are so used to being able to reach me .  I use email for so much that if I disconnected, it would be similar to taking all of my mail that used to come via snail mail and leaving it to pile up in the mailbox outside.  There would definitely be negative consequences to the behavior. I would dislike having to readjust my way of life if I disconnected.  On the other hand, I would enjoy not being able to be reached by others all of the time and expected to respond.  I would also enjoy not being tempted to waste time on Facebook and Instagram.