Growing Up Online, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/view/, and Distracted By Everything, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/, were about the use of the internet among both children and their parents/teachers.  In my opinion, Growing Up Online focused more on the use of the internet by children and its effects on their personalities, home and school lives, etc.  Whereas, Distracted by Everything focused on both the children and their parent’s opinions and concerns about potential internet use at both the home and the school. I noticed that by the filming of the 2^nd film, the technology being utilized by both the children and their parents had changed dramatically.  All of the devices being used by the children were first and/or second generation products in the first film, with fewer applications and abilities.  By the filming of the 2^nd film, the devices being used by the children were much more advanced, with more capabilities and functions.  To some people, this could be seen as a problem because the technology is going to become more and more advanced with time and both parents and children will be affected by it.   

            Personally, I believe that multi-tasking can be both a good and bad thing, depending on the person involved.  I agreed with the MIT Professor in the 2^nd video when she said that students today need to be stimulated; she felt that multi-tasking wasn’t good at all during classes or homework time because it distracted students from their main task or purpose.  Of course, most of the students felt otherwise because they believed that they were great at multi-tasking.  It interested me that certain research showed that these students were, in actuality, awful at multi-tasking.  I agree with her that it’s a problem while in the classroom or doing homework but I feel that it’s less bad in other aspects of one’s life.  For example, I’ll have the television on in the background while reading a book and absorb the content from each and be able to describe both to someone else. My parents are the exact opposite because they will turn of the television before they read their book; they claim that it’s distracting to them because they are attempting to focus on their book, not anything else.  I believe that it depends on the person because some people have difficulties focusing on numerous things whereas some people have absolutely no difficulty doing so.

            I believe that there is addiction to social networking sites and video gaming around the globe, as emphasized by the emergence of Internet Rescue Camps in South Korea, mentioned in the 2^nd film.  However, addiction isn’t an epidemic because many children don’t become addicted to these things.  Everything in Moderation definitely applies to internet use because as with nearly everything, heavy internet use can have negative effects on children.  This phenomenon could be considered to be a new way of living because younger children are using the internet more and more that their siblings and  parents.  For example, my sibling uses the phone and the internet much more often than myself; however, she isn’t addicted to it because she isn’t constantly online or on her phone or neglecting her schoolwork.  She understands that there are other means of socializing with her friends and family.  I believe that we should be concerned but it’s becoming easier and easier to notice addiction over prolonged use of the internet.  Children who become addicted should be helped and other children should be warned about the potential of internet addiction by both their parents and teachers.  

             Personally, as a person who plays video games relatively frequently, I believe that they aren’t a waste of time because they are oftentimes a means of learning something or socializing with friends.  I graduated from R.W.U. College over a year ago and still commune with my friends when we get together on Skype and game together.  For us, it’s a means of communicating with each other while being entertained; it’s much more enjoyable hearing a friend’s voice over Skype than just Facebook-Chatting an old friend.  Today, there is an entire genre of video games devoted to education so I don’t believe that it’s a waste of time at all.  If people understood video games more so, they would realize that they can both educate and entertain their audience. 

            Personally, I have always understood that a decent number of parents are aware of what their children are doing online.  When I was younger, our household computer was located in the dining room, where our parents could monitor its use by us.  In the 1^st video, the household computer was located in the kitchen because that Mother was often in the kitchen, either using the phone or doing other activities.  I realize that not every family is similar to mine or the one in the video, there are children out there who have parents who don’t monitor their use of the internet at all.  I believe that it’s the responsibility of both parents and teachers to teach children about internet safety and digital responsibility, not necessarily the Government or Local Community.    

            Many children and adults are indeed ruining their digital footprints by sharing too much information on the internet without realizing the consequences.  We were always taught to be very careful of what we put onto MySpace or Facebook because various Organizations and Companies are able to glimpse profiles of their applicants.  This information could definitely affect the applicant’s ability to get a position in said places.  Also, Colleges could potentially view profiles of potential students and decide whether or not this potential student was right for their College.  People should care about this because it will affect their lives greatly; it’s much easier to be careful and aware of what you post on social networking sites than to be reckless and post detrimental information.  This could also apply to the danger of Online Predators because these sorts of people are able to glimpse profiles of various people and attempt to contact them personally, over the use of e-mail, chat, or phones.

                    Overall, these were very interesting and intriguing documentaries about the use of the internet among both children and their parents. I knew about some of this information beforehand but it was informative to hear other people’s viewpoints about this topic.  Having a younger sibling, I have seen this near-constant use of technology but it’s not necessarily a bad thing in if done in Moderation.  Before children become addicted to the use of technology, their parents and teachers should teach them about proper internet use, ethics, and digital responsibility.