Growing up Online

Adolescents today are active participants in a culture that centers on the internet.  Those who did not have the internet when they were young may not understand the lifestyle of a generation that has grown up using it regularly and for hours at a time.  It is easy to pinpoint a number of things about the internet that makes life as a teenager increasingly dangerous, but as was stated during “Growing up Online,” the internet is a permanent fixture in modern society.  As future educators we need to be able to understand students’ attachment to the internet, and to be able to give it a place in the classroom.  Adolescents go online not only to keep in touch with friends from school, but also to find alternative ways to express themselves.  Art teachers in particular need to respect students’ need for personal expression.  In response to this, educators need to make it a priority to speak to students about safety online, and need to accept the internet's place in our society and in schools.