Growing Up Online

I already knew:

1. Now, people spend most time online.
2. It is sometimes easier to contact someone through a text message, Facebook or a phone call even if you are in the same house.
3. The internet can help you feel like you are someone else.
4. It is almost impossible to control what kids do online.
5. Once something is on the internet there is no turning back.
6. Kids refuse to give their passwords to their parents, they feel it is a violation to their privacy.
7. People have different relationships online.
8. Most people like to have a lot of friends on Facebook, even though they do not know most of them.
9. 90% of teenagers are online. 
10. Kids use the internet for plagiarism and things like Spark notes.
11. Now a days because of the internet people multitask more.
12. Teens are bigger experts using new technologies than adults.
13. There are some obvious predators that people keep away, but others are like any other person.
14. Cyber-bullying can lead to suicide.
15. People lie about their age online.

What surprised me:

1. Kids concentrate even less now a days.
2. Parent-Child relationships are much weaker there is much less "family time".
3. Kids friend people that they do not know, even though it is dangerous. 
4. People feel like there is no other things to do than spend time online.
5. Stalkers are more common now.
6. Some people even aware of the dangers are very irresponsible online, ie. they friend people they don't know on Facebook.

Different now:

1. Myspace is no longer popular.
2. People use Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Youtube.
3. Internet Explorer is not a main browser any more.
4. I pods are way thinner now and people use I touches more, not mp3.
5. Computers are used in school instead of notebooks.
6. There are many more Facebook users.
7. People are less interested in adding people they don't know.
8. Picture and Video quality is better.
9. Layouts are different (ie. youtube, Facebook, etc.)
10. Internet is faster.
11. Laptops and smaller/thinner computers are more common.

What topic in the video does not relate to your experiences?

In the video many girls said that they competed to see who had more friends on Facebook, and they added random people that they didn't know. I've never done that. I think that when you are online it is important to know the people you socialize with, and take precautions. If you add someone that you don't know as a friend they can find out information about you, abuse you, stalk you or even kidnap you. I never add people that I don't know, just to be safe.

What are the biggest benefits of being online?

I have many friends that have moved away or that live in other countries and being online helps me so I can communicate with them and it is faster and easier. Online I can also do many things that I love. There are many webpages that are for editing pictures and listening to music. Others help me with school like the videos in Khan Academy. It is also beneficial to be able to research things for school like about certain periods in history, for projects or homework.

What topic did you most strongly identify with?

I felt identified with the fact that kids are online most of the time. Even though I also do other things I do many things online. I chat with my friends, Skype with the member of my family that don't live here or with my friends, I have a tumblr. Mostly, though, I listen to music, and I watch videos on youtube.