often through e-mail. Our world is increasing its reliance on an internet-oriented delivery system. In this system, democracy will become more alive and robust as the 21st century internet features - the ability for individuals to express themselves by creating their own news formats; the opportunity to interact with high profile leaders who will need to know what their viewers are thinking; the ability to tailor, according to interest, an individualized news show, culling from diverse media sources off the internet; and ultimately people will feel great comfort in knowing that they are not alone, that their opinions are significant because the internet will prove that thousands of other people are thinking exactly like they are.
However, this new freedom of information does not come without risks. I believe that freedom exists within limits, and in this case, those limits come in the form of personal responsibility and the responsibility to society. It's important that we can plug into new ideas and grow, but it's even more important that we are able to recognize what is reliable information, what is believable information, what is hate mongering, and, as Bill Joy, the chief scientist and founder of Sun Microsystems suggests in James Yin's article, what is dangerous information. Freedom at its best can be very scary.
We cannot stop what
we are about to receive, nor can teens be sheltered from the daily exposure
to all of the inherent risks associated with being a 21st century teen.
I do believe, however, that we can make all of these journeys a lot easier
for ALL of us by utilizing the best and most reliable form of communication
- one that occurs one-on-one, within a family, around a dinner table,
at the beach, driving to school, etc. Parents have to awaken to their
chosen path of love and responsibility, and those four out of five teens
who want to spend more time with their parents need to communicate that
desire. As Jane Fonda commented in Jessica Bernhard's interview with her,
"Young people are supposed to be surrounded by parents and grand-parents
who can teach them about life. If young people don't spend time with grown-ups,
where are they going to learn? They are going to learn from their friends,
who don't know nearly enough." Adding to that, strong families need
to be the adoptive families to those teens, young children, and parents
who are divorced, abused, left alone, or who have experienced adverse
or perverse conditions in their lives, significantly threatening their
ability to survive. Our families and our adoptive families may not have
all the answers, but at least, we can begin to understand each other,
we can discuss standards, create values, and decipher for ourselves what
makes sense within our family units. Together we can decide what personal
responsibility and societal responsibility is just and nobel. In so doing,
I believe that families and extended families will find the truest comfort
we are all looking for. Within a family, it's safe, it's caring, and,
together we can set the right direction for all of our successful futures.
