Thoughts Before Hashtags Blog

The Internet has Changed How We Live Our Lives

4/4/2022

For adults, the term IRL - in real life - truly meant life offline.

At least at first.

It was a game, a past time, something we were all figuring out. We were told that the things we did online in essence weren't real because they happened online. But the actions we, and others, take online can have offline consequences.

Using this phrase, IRL has done a disservice to us, to our kids generation and to all younger generations who are growing up with access to the world through a digital platform. Digital Natives. For them the digital world is just as real as the one offline. They are interconnected and they can’t be separated.

Real life isn’t just offline.

Online and offline impact and are effected by each other. Saying offline is ‘real life” is an illusion that perpetuates the idea that what happens online doesn’t matter.

But, it does matter.

Our young people have had a digital presence from such an early age and they are generally unaware of the consequences (good and bad) that their online life has offline.

We need to

help our kids understand that their actions online can effect more than the number of likes or followers we gain
teach them how to move forward with a positive and beneficial digital footprint
explain the consequences online actions can have and how one thing online can impact their whole life

Join the conversation! Let me know how you are helping make your kids aware of how their online actions effect their offline life experience.

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Find a Way in Through Conversation

3/25/2022

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Most kids think their parents are unaware of how this digital world works.
Unfortunately, because of that, your kid might be unlikely to come to you for guidance about things that happen online. Even though social interactions have similar outcomes on and offline, it can be difficult for kids to see the similarities. SO since these things are happening online, they assume we as parents won’t be of any help.

Here are a few conversations you can have with your kid so they know they can come to you when something uncomfortable or unsafe comes up online.

Discuss what apps they use and why
1. How they use the app to connect and create. Do they do more than consume content?
2. Download the apps they are using most often and try them out yourself.
Help them curate their follower list
1. Keep on people they know in real life
2. Explain why you question accounts with little content or what makes one seem spammy or dangerous.
Learn the language of social media
1. It's not good or bad, it's a tool
  1. Like any tool it can be misused by people
  2. But it can also bring about great benefits
2. It comes back to you trying it out yourself and seeing the benefits in real time.
Talk about healthy relationships on and offline
1. Sexting can create the illusion of a higher level of intimacy when they aren’t truly ready for it.
Help them develop an exit strategy for uncomfortable, unsafe and dangerous situations
1. Just like a fire drill helps you get ready for an emergency, having something similar in the online space helps kids make the right decisions when they need to.
2. Things to cover in an exit strategy:
  1. how/when/why to unfollow someone
  2. how/when/why to block someone on social media
  3. how/when/why to have a digital detox

If you would like to see detailed examples of any of these, comment below or message the Start Effect on social media.

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