Lord of the Files

What would happen if children made up their own laws and ran their own government? William Golding wrote a book on this principle in 1954 - "The Lord of the Flies." In the book, a group of children are stranded on a deserted island, and in order to survive, they are forced to govern themselves. There are no adults to guide them in proper decisions, so to make a long story short - total chaos breaks out!

The children of today have found their own "island" to govern - its name is Technology. They have found a world with no rules, no guidelines, and no morals. Needless to say, it's a child's dream and a parent's nightmare. Technology has come a long way, but unless we as adults are willing to step in and offer guidance, children will continue to make poor choices about how to use that technology.

Through the dramatization of the media, new technology always seems to be frowned upon. Adults are always looking for a way to shut it down, instead of reshaping it in a positive fashion. For example, when MySpace first hit the news, it was because parents were shocked to find out their children were posting potentially harmful information about themselves to the internet. Of course, the kids had already been doing this for years through instant messaging and social sites. Let's look at the good side of what MySpace did for children:

• Children were using communication skills
• They were sharing ideas across a wide audience
• They were expressing opinions on subjects that mattered to them

Imagine where MySpace would be today if we had offered some much-needed guidance to our children about how to post information safely.

The power of parenting and teaching is influence. Believe it or not, kids look up to you. They need your guidance. Don't turn your back on the island of Technology - live there with them, and it will be a much happier place for us all!