Notes from Millie D

FRONTLINE: coming soon: growing up online | PBS via kwout

The PBS program Frontline will be dedicating their January 22nd episode to teens “Growing Up Online“. Here is the description from their website…

MySpace. YouTube. Facebook. Nearly every teen in America is on the Internet every day, socializing with friends and strangers alike, “trying on” identities, and building a virtual profile of themselves–one that many kids insist is a more honest depiction of who they really are than the person they portray at home or in school.

In “Growing Up Online,” FRONTLINE peers inside the world of this cyber-savvy generation through the eyes of teens and their parents, who often find themselves on opposite sides of a new digital divide. From cyber bullying to instant “Internet fame,” to the specter of online sexual predators, FRONTLINE producer Rachel Dretzin investigates the risks, realities and misconceptions of teenage self-expression on the World Wide Web.

This episode I believe is very timely in opening people’s eyes to what teens are going through online. Unfortunately I don’t believe too many parents are going to see it as PBS is not on the “heavy rotation” of viewing prime time television. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to encourage parents to view this episode. Educators can tape this program and be able to show it for a year based on their copyright agreement. This might make for a good Internet Safety launchpad.

Here is a preview of their episode for you to check out.

tags technorati : frontline pbs internetsafety