Raising a Kid in the Digital Age

A few weeks ago I posted about how I had deleted my Facebook app and why.  I also wrote about my thoughts on comparing ourselves based on social media.

Today, I want to explain why you won't be finding a whole lot about my son on here, Facebook, Instagram or other social media platform.  

A few months ago I started "researching" how other people were handling this issue.  I LOVE seeing other people's kids online. It doesn't bother me at all. I read mommy blogs. I use social media to keep up with my friends and their kids' lives. 

However, we have decided that we will be taking a different approach. We won't be posting (at least for now) pictures of our kid(s) online.  We are also asking that other people not post pictures either.  

I realize this is completely weird. The fact that my kid won't have a ready arsenal  of #tbt pics may make them as weird as the kid in my 3rd grade class who didn't have a tv. I'm willing to take that risk.

There are lots of reasons why we decided to do this (and I won't go in to all of them here), but a few are as follows:

1. While a big part of me wants to post pics and updates because it feels like "Look what I did," I realize that he is a person too.  I never want to risk crossing that line of posting something that could easily be humiliating when he's 14.  Because once it is on the Internet, it doesn't go away.

2. I want him to have the opportunity to create his own digital image... when he is old enough... when he can understand what that means. 

3. I never want there to be at risk of creepy people "stealing" pictures or any of the other weird things I discovered when researching this stuff.

4. There are people in my online life who I don't want to have access to his pictures and updates.

5. I want there to be actual people in his (and my) life.  I don't want his (or my) worth to come from likes and comments and shares.  I want it to come from quality time with other people.  If people want to see him... I want them to come see him! (Or text me and I'll send a picture)

I in no way think this is the right choice for everyone.  Like I said, I LOVE seeing pictures and videos and posts of other people's kids.  However, right now, Husband and I have decided this is best for us.

I realize this is a hot button issue for some people.  Your thoughts?



Also, here are a few of the things I read that helped shape my decision: 1 . 2 . 3 . 4

Teaching Tip Thursday: Powerpoints

For some reason, asking students to create a PowerPoint presentation is still a very commonly assigned project (ooo, technology...).  However, very few teachers take the time to explain how to make a good presentation and even less actually make them then present that presentation.

This year, I assigned my advanced 7th graders a project that included a powerpoint as the final product piece.  After 2 days of the groups working on them in Google Slides, I checked in to see how they were doing and IMMEDIATELY regretted not giving any visual expectations.  I quickly put together this presentation to hopefully correct their most common mistakes. 

Feel free to use with your students as well.  (There might even be a ppt-happy teacher on your team who could benefit from these tips too!)

Why I Deleted My Facebook App

Yesterday morning, my husband asked, "Hey did you see [this thing] on Facebook?"

"On Facebook?  No... I deleted my Facebook."

"What!?  Are we not married anymore?  If you took your ring off there wouldn't be nearly as many questions as there would be if we weren't married on Facebook!"

Now obviously he was joking.  But the reality of "Facebook-official" still exists.

Side story: Five years ago my teammate was trying to take attendance and Luther (a student) was absent.  "Has anyone seen Luther today?"  Replies of course varied but there seemed to be some confusion about if he would be coming in late or not at all.  The student that ended the argument?  "I saw on Facebook he wasn't coming today."  Really.  You can't argue with Facebook official-ness.

Anyways... technically, I did not delete my Facebook. (I don't even really think you can delete your Facebook account anymore... I think it always exists, you know, just in case).  I simply deleted the app on my phone and my iPad.

Source

Why?

Well, after I wrote this blog post, I realized that I don't really use Facebook that much.  Not as a poster at least.  I rarely post photos (usually just changing my profile pic, but even that not frequently), I rarely post a status, and I rarely use it to "share" anything I find.  But I find myself on Facebook all the time.

So what the heck am I doing on there?  Well... mostly looking at other people and their lives.  Which means, esentially, I AM comparing myself constantly with them.

Facebook is an overwhelming corner of the Internet.  I have pared down my friends list frequently, but I still feel like there are too many people on there, people who were very much a part of my life at one time, but now no longer are.  I unfollowed a TON of people, but now I see everything that someone likes or posts of the few people that I do follow.

And I realized... I don't need to.  I don't really care that much.  I know if there is something substantial, my husband or mother or brother will make sure I know about it.  But for the most part, it is just a time-suck.  I still have an account and can easily still access it.  But I realized I'm much less likely to do so when I don't have it on my phone.


Granted, I'll still be using it for Little Mama Bee stuff, but it isn't quite the same.  I haven't given up my other social media outlets.  I'm still on Twitter, Instagram, Blogger (obviously), and Pinterest, but all of those are different.  With Facebook, "friendship"must be mutual.  With the other social media sites, you have "followers"which means I can keep my own circle as small as I want while still allowing everyone else to "follow" me.

Currently, I haven't been on Facebook in 3 days.  Not a huge accomplishment, but I feel like, as someone who probably checked my Facebook 10+ times a day, it kinda is.  We shall see how this keeps up.