The storm created by Caitlin Flanagan’s book Girl Land, is an example of adults believing they are ‘in the know’. Of course, the Internet has affected the lives of young women and yes, the impact has been far reaching – it has also influenced the lives of young men. In fact, the Internet has probably affected most of us.
However, what frustrates me in the debates surrounding the Internet and today’s youth, is the seeming belief that adults have all the answers to the questions that assail our kids. Often, it seems as though adults look back on their own lives – their own challenges and opportunities, their own disappointments and triumphs, and apply ‘I wish I had’ hindsight to direct the lives of younger people.
To my way of thinking this is problematic. Firstly it neglects the very obvious fact that today’s world poses a very different set of challenges and opportunities to those present ten years ago – let alone 25 years ago. More importantly, it diminishes the intelligence and responsibility of today’s teenagers. It seems that adults can be so busy protecting teenagers and warning parents, that the self proclaimed ‘experts’ forget to actually ask young people what is going on for them and what they think they, as teenagers, should be doing do about it.
Think for a moment about the extraordinary achievements of the ordinary young people you know. On a daily basis I see young people taking directorship of their own lives and achieving remarkable results. Of course they need support (we all do), but they also deserve a hearing. We adults can learn much about the lives of young people and what they need to make their life meaningful, safe and advantageous, simply by listening to what they say they need.
In my humble opinion, debating over the Internet’s effect on the lives of teenagers and what we as a society should do to protect them, is simply tokenistic posturing, if we don’t also include the voice of young people. Sure, young people need support, but they do not need to become a mini-me. Young people need to develop skills. They need critical, emotional and digital literacy and they need adult’s respect.
I love listening to the ideas of young people – through their innocent and creative lens, they have usually, already seen the solution.