When I look at my children I can’t help but to worry with great fear about them growing up in what the world has become today. I think about when I was growing up and how there was no Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Flicker, Twitter, Tinder and a thousand other sites that I am still not even aware of..and I am so thankful for that. I cant imagine growing up now. I remember how hard growing up was without all of those things.. but now, I feel like its nearly impossible to go through the awkward and sometimes very painful stages of life without a spot light being shown very brightly on each and every step of the way.
Those of us who grew up without all of this social media were able to have that big monster zit on our cheek without the fear of it maybe making an appearance on someones Instagram account… or how about those horrible glasses that covered half our faces and that frizzy hair that had no business being crimped that many times… Yep, those school pictures are in the bottom of some hope chest in an attic, and will stay there until we are old and gray and want to look back a how young and cute we once were.
Or how about those mean girl fights where your biggest concern was possibly catching another friend talking about you to another friend by using that sneaky thing called 3-way calling? Remember that? You never even had to have a second thought that someone may be “blowing up” your phone with awful text messages and blasting your Facebook account with disgusting slurs and lies about you that all your friends and family had the potential of seeing… All because you had a falling out with someone in gym class.
This “Social Media Generation” is likely to grow up without the luxury of forgetting… What I mean by that is, close to every detail of most kids lives are on social media in some way, shape or form these days.The kids that are on all of these sites are not just teens either. We are talking young kids here. If they know how to type and use a computer or phone, odds are they have some sort of social media account, whether mom and dad knows or not. Every year this gets younger and younger. Facebook started out as a college social page just over 10 years ago, and look what it has quickly turned into. There are elementary kids who know more about phone apps, and computer programming then I do, and its only going to become more dominant in children’s lives in years to come.
So in 10, 15, or 20 years from now, when this “Social Media Generation” grows up… What is life going to look like for them? What does life look like for one who has had pictures of themselves, and status updates that outline their every move up on social media, documenting all their highest and lowest moments in their early years of life? I think about what I would have probably posted 17 years ago if Facebook had been around…and I can guarantee you, I would never want that up for the world to see now. I have the luxury of not having a bazillion pictures up all over the internet of me at 16 years old with a boyfriend that is not my husband and father of my children now. I also don’t have to worry about photos of myself in a outfits that my mom would never have approved of floating around in internet space somewhere that my kids may one day find. But our kids? They wont have this option.They will have never truly understand the value of privacy because they have grown up in a world where every one exploits each other.. but more importantly where they have learned to exploit themselves any chance they get. They will grow up not having the gift of “letting things go” because their past will always be documented for them to go back and rehash any chance they want to. And what about their job opportunities one day? They may not get that dream job at 24 years old because of the stuff they posted when they were 17, because as the saying goes.. “once on the internet… always on the internet”.
This deeply saddens me. I don’t want my kids to grow up in that kind of world. Clearly I do not think all social media is bad, or else I would never have started a blog. I also admit to using social media daily for my blog, however, I also know what it feels like to live a life without all of that and know how to limit myself where it doesn’t consume my life. I want the same for my kids. I want them to grow up knowing what it feels like to go on a first date that started with a phone call or love letter.. not a text or message over social media… or worse by swiping left or right on dating apps like Tinder. I want them to feel excited about having their hand-held for the first time by their crush, without worrying about keeping up with their friends pictures of the make-session they had last night. I want them to go make memories… off camera. The type of memories that only get better in our heads as the years go by. I want them to talk face to face with friends, and learn who they can trust as a best friend and who they can’t by interacting and navigating the true trials and tribulations of friendship… Not by finding awful things being said about them on twitter or being harassed through texts. I want them to feel the leather of a worn out Bible in their hands and not go to google to find a scripture. I want them to experience a whole day, without looking down once at the screen of a phone.
I am not sure how, and I know it wont be easy… But I can promise you this… I am going to try my hardest, as their mom… to give my kids just that. I know they will resent me at times along the way, and they wont always understand it. But I want my children to be more than just part of a “social media generation”..
I want them to live real life.
X♥O Nicole
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What will this “Social Media Generation” look like?
When I look at my children I can’t help but to worry with great fear about them growing up in what the world has become today. I think about when I was growing up and how there was no Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Flicker, Twitter, Tinder and a thousand other sites that I am still not even aware of..and I am so thankful for that. I cant imagine growing up now. I remember how hard growing up was without all of those things.. but now, I feel like its nearly impossible to go through the awkward and sometimes very painful stages of life without a spot light being shown very brightly on each and every step of the way.
Those of us who grew up without all of this social media were able to have that big monster zit on our cheek without the fear of it maybe making an appearance on someones Instagram account… or how about those horrible glasses that covered half our faces and that frizzy hair that had no business being crimped that many times… Yep, those school pictures are in the bottom of some hope chest in an attic, and will stay there until we are old and gray and want to look back a how young and cute we once were.
Or how about those mean girl fights where your biggest concern was possibly catching another friend talking about you to another friend by using that sneaky thing called 3-way calling? Remember that? You never even had to have a second thought that someone may be “blowing up” your phone with awful text messages and blasting your Facebook account with disgusting slurs and lies about you that all your friends and family had the potential of seeing… All because you had a falling out with someone in gym class.
This “Social Media Generation” is likely to grow up without the luxury of forgetting… What I mean by that is, close to every detail of most kids lives are on social media in some way, shape or form these days.The kids that are on all of these sites are not just teens either. We are talking young kids here. If they know how to type and use a computer or phone, odds are they have some sort of social media account, whether mom and dad knows or not. Every year this gets younger and younger. Facebook started out as a college social page just over 10 years ago, and look what it has quickly turned into. There are elementary kids who know more about phone apps, and computer programming then I do, and its only going to become more dominant in children’s lives in years to come.
So in 10, 15, or 20 years from now, when this “Social Media Generation” grows up… What is life going to look like for them? What does life look like for one who has had pictures of themselves, and status updates that outline their every move up on social media, documenting all their highest and lowest moments in their early years of life? I think about what I would have probably posted 17 years ago if Facebook had been around…and I can guarantee you, I would never want that up for the world to see now. I have the luxury of not having a bazillion pictures up all over the internet of me at 16 years old with a boyfriend that is not my husband and father of my children now. I also don’t have to worry about photos of myself in a outfits that my mom would never have approved of floating around in internet space somewhere that my kids may one day find. But our kids? They wont have this option.They will have never truly understand the value of privacy because they have grown up in a world where every one exploits each other.. but more importantly where they have learned to exploit themselves any chance they get. They will grow up not having the gift of “letting things go” because their past will always be documented for them to go back and rehash any chance they want to. And what about their job opportunities one day? They may not get that dream job at 24 years old because of the stuff they posted when they were 17, because as the saying goes.. “once on the internet… always on the internet”.
This deeply saddens me. I don’t want my kids to grow up in that kind of world. Clearly I do not think all social media is bad, or else I would never have started a blog. I also admit to using social media daily for my blog, however, I also know what it feels like to live a life without all of that and know how to limit myself where it doesn’t consume my life. I want the same for my kids. I want them to grow up knowing what it feels like to go on a first date that started with a phone call or love letter.. not a text or message over social media… or worse by swiping left or right on dating apps like Tinder. I want them to feel excited about having their hand-held for the first time by their crush, without worrying about keeping up with their friends pictures of the make-session they had last night. I want them to go make memories… off camera. The type of memories that only get better in our heads as the years go by. I want them to talk face to face with friends, and learn who they can trust as a best friend and who they can’t by interacting and navigating the true trials and tribulations of friendship… Not by finding awful things being said about them on twitter or being harassed through texts. I want them to feel the leather of a worn out Bible in their hands and not go to google to find a scripture. I want them to experience a whole day, without looking down once at the screen of a phone.
I am not sure how, and I know it wont be easy… But I can promise you this… I am going to try my hardest, as their mom… to give my kids just that. I know they will resent me at times along the way, and they wont always understand it. But I want my children to be more than just part of a “social media generation”..
I want them to live real life.
X♥O Nicole
Comments
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Stephanie says
Amen sista! That is why my teenager still can’t have a FB account and also why I decided to close mine for a while, possibly forever. It not only exposes the foolish things teens tend to do in their niavity, but also takes away their value. God values each and every one of us so very much. He does not want us to compare ourselves to each other, and to make our selves feel better or worse depending on how many “likes” we receive. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. He wants us to look to Him for fulfillment. Our children must learn this by watching us. For now, people may say I’m over protective or living in the dark age. But in reality I am living in the light and exposing my children to Truth so that when they have grown wings and fly on their own, the weight of social media is not what holds them back from being all The Lord has called them to be. Great post Nicole! Keep em comin!
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Kali says
Ahhhh this makes me sad. I’m not sure of your age, but I am only 24 and can remember the days when I had no phone to text my friends, I had to use a disposable camera and take it to Walmart to be developed. I wasn’t uploading pictures to Instagram while I was in the car or seeing what so and so did on Facebook 5 minutes ago. I have a love hate relationship with social media, and I’m hoping it kind of dies out before my daughter is old enough to care!
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Elena says
Great points! I guess I’m lucky because my kids are in their twenties. Their early childhood was free of this type of all consuming Internet engagement. I actually think I’m on social media more than them! Lol
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allisonarnone says
I always say this, but as much as I love social media, I’m SO glad I didn’t grow up with it. In college I actually went out and had fun and NO ONE had their cell phones out all night; texting, Instagramming, Snapchatting, or whatever the hell it is we all do now. It was pure simple fun, and yes – some of the…uh, questionable behavior was left offline. As it should be! I kind of miss those simpler times!
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Nikki @ Boba + Pearls says
I have a love/hate relationship with social media. It drives me crazy. I hope my kids aren’t as obsessed as a lot of other kids are.
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Logan Can says
This absolutely terrifies me for my children. I honestly don’t know how things will turn out. I do think it is the parent’s responsibility to monitor the best they can, but let’s be honest, that is very hard to do. Kids are smart. It’s a very scary time to be raising children. All we can do is pray for them and have faith that they will be able to stand up to the challenges.
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This is SO true! While I don’t have kids where I have to worry about their futures with regards to this, if I did, I’d feel the same as you. I can’t even imagine having to deal with social media as a teenager! The bullying thing is so frightening…at least when we were kids (not that I was bullied), but you could at least feel safe when you went home, but now…it just follows those poor kids home too, and, as you mentioned in a format that won’t allow for it to be forgotten. I also feel it’s creating very narcissistic tendencies in the ‘look at me’, ‘comment on me’, ‘look at how many likes I got, I must be SO cool/important/better/etc.’. Fantastic post!
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Crystal says
Oh so true! It’s wild. I know Mason will wake up sometimes and the first thing he asks for his is iPad. I’m like no, lets watch some good ol’ cartoons or get dressed and go outside. While he’s not old enough for Social Media yet, he does know what Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat are. 🙁
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irynabychkiv says
Yes, that’s really sad. I was just thinking about it couple of day ago. We grew up without technology and we came out just fine. We had much more social life, real social life, that kids have now.
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DT says
I too think that sometimes, but then I also think the way we grew up was also different from how our parents did and they might also not have been able to imagine what our generation would be like… Let’s see what next generation will be like.
—DT | Here I Scribble -
Shailee Butalia says
My husband and I use social media but we still don’t put every aspect of our lives up on Facebook or twitter or wherever. I think if we show our kids how to be in the moment, we wil pass down that there are some things that are private. I think it has to come from us.
Amen sista! That is why my teenager still can’t have a FB account and also why I decided to close mine for a while, possibly forever. It not only exposes the foolish things teens tend to do in their niavity, but also takes away their value. God values each and every one of us so very much. He does not want us to compare ourselves to each other, and to make our selves feel better or worse depending on how many “likes” we receive. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. He wants us to look to Him for fulfillment. Our children must learn this by watching us. For now, people may say I’m over protective or living in the dark age. But in reality I am living in the light and exposing my children to Truth so that when they have grown wings and fly on their own, the weight of social media is not what holds them back from being all The Lord has called them to be. Great post Nicole! Keep em comin!
Ahhhh this makes me sad. I’m not sure of your age, but I am only 24 and can remember the days when I had no phone to text my friends, I had to use a disposable camera and take it to Walmart to be developed. I wasn’t uploading pictures to Instagram while I was in the car or seeing what so and so did on Facebook 5 minutes ago. I have a love hate relationship with social media, and I’m hoping it kind of dies out before my daughter is old enough to care!
Great points! I guess I’m lucky because my kids are in their twenties. Their early childhood was free of this type of all consuming Internet engagement. I actually think I’m on social media more than them! Lol
I always say this, but as much as I love social media, I’m SO glad I didn’t grow up with it. In college I actually went out and had fun and NO ONE had their cell phones out all night; texting, Instagramming, Snapchatting, or whatever the hell it is we all do now. It was pure simple fun, and yes – some of the…uh, questionable behavior was left offline. As it should be! I kind of miss those simpler times!
I have a love/hate relationship with social media. It drives me crazy. I hope my kids aren’t as obsessed as a lot of other kids are.
This absolutely terrifies me for my children. I honestly don’t know how things will turn out. I do think it is the parent’s responsibility to monitor the best they can, but let’s be honest, that is very hard to do. Kids are smart. It’s a very scary time to be raising children. All we can do is pray for them and have faith that they will be able to stand up to the challenges.
This is SO true! While I don’t have kids where I have to worry about their futures with regards to this, if I did, I’d feel the same as you. I can’t even imagine having to deal with social media as a teenager! The bullying thing is so frightening…at least when we were kids (not that I was bullied), but you could at least feel safe when you went home, but now…it just follows those poor kids home too, and, as you mentioned in a format that won’t allow for it to be forgotten. I also feel it’s creating very narcissistic tendencies in the ‘look at me’, ‘comment on me’, ‘look at how many likes I got, I must be SO cool/important/better/etc.’. Fantastic post!
Oh so true! It’s wild. I know Mason will wake up sometimes and the first thing he asks for his is iPad. I’m like no, lets watch some good ol’ cartoons or get dressed and go outside. While he’s not old enough for Social Media yet, he does know what Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat are. 🙁
Yes, that’s really sad. I was just thinking about it couple of day ago. We grew up without technology and we came out just fine. We had much more social life, real social life, that kids have now.
Yes, that’s really sad. I was just thinking about it couple of day ago. We grew up without technology and we came out just fine. We had much more social life, real social life, that kids have now.
I too think that sometimes, but then I also think the way we grew up was also different from how our parents did and they might also not have been able to imagine what our generation would be like… Let’s see what next generation will be like.
—DT | Here I Scribble
I too think that sometimes, but then I also think the way we grew up was also different from how our parents did and they might also not have been able to imagine what our generation would be like… Let’s see what next generation will be like.
—DT | Here I Scribble
My husband and I use social media but we still don’t put every aspect of our lives up on Facebook or twitter or wherever. I think if we show our kids how to be in the moment, we wil pass down that there are some things that are private. I think it has to come from us.
My husband and I use social media but we still don’t put every aspect of our lives up on Facebook or twitter or wherever. I think if we show our kids how to be in the moment, we wil pass down that there are some things that are private. I think it has to come from us.