(Untitled)

[ryuutchi]

I swear to god, my YA lit class is making me feel young. I'm sitting here going "New media? Blogs are new media? Am I just so young that I barely remember a time when the internet didn't exist? iPod are new media? Kids should take classes on social networking because it can be dangerous and they don't know how to protect themselves from online

Comments

[sleepfighter]

Speaking as someone who has done IT stuff before for teens, if the parents aren't going to teach the kids, someone else has to do it. And I guess it falls on the schools then. But it really shouldn't, unless the schools are mainly for socializing, because that's just too much.

[ryuutchi]

Yes, but teach them what? How to use it, or how to protect themselves? Most teens I know can figure out a lot of the basics on their own. And it's still not the library's job to get parents to teach kids about "the dangers of social networking".

[sleepfighter]

Safety. Most pepole can figure out the rest on their own or with peer help. And I agree. It shouldn't be, it should be the parents.

[ryuutchi]

The problem I'm seeing is that a lot of the older generation are terrified by the entire idea- so instead of just saying "it's fun, but like every other fun thing, here are problems you can run into if you're dumb-- remember not to do this stupid thing" really early on, the adults get paralyzed, because they don't understand the technology and they don't realize just how YOUNG kids get into the technology these days-- fuck, this isn't even a YA problem anymore, really.

Yes you are very young (in comparison)

[dragon_momma]

I can remember when electric typewriters were a new phenomenon and making copies required carbon paper. Compact battery operated radios where an amazement even if they only played AM stations.

No it is not the library or the school's job to protect the YA patrons and we all pray that the parents will take that responsibility but remember "It takes a whole village to raise a child" we can not function in a vacuum. We need to assist those that need assistance.

Re: Yes you are very young (in comparison)

[ryuutchi]

Haha. You're OLD.

I'm just bothered by the way they're all bewildered by this new technology! And the fact that at least one classmate totally glossed over how the technology could be used FOR the library in favor of "helping parents teach their kids to understand the dangers." It's ridiculous.

[siadea]

Oh, dude, now wait a second. Classes on social networking? Oh, hayell no. Does it need to be gone over? Yeah, the computer-class-person at the school needs to mention it - in sort of a "yup, I know most of y'all use MySpace and stuff, and the internet in general, so here're a few things to keep yourselves safe while doing it" way, but... That is the school supposed to be doing that, through their IT and computer classes. The library is all about the informations: if anything, they should be offering classes on how best to use the internet for research and stuff. There is no possible way that a librarian can 'protect' a young adult from the dangers of social networking. The only thing that I could think of would be to ban the sites from library computers, and you may insert librarianly shrieks of indignation at the thought here.

[ryuutchi]

Well, what touched off the rant was a combination of things-- someone asking what constituted "new media" and whether it was (and I quote) "computers, databases, online stuff?"
Which was sort of like... Bzuh? There's newer stuff!

And someone else posting in response to the discussion board questions "How would you use one type of new media in a library?" responding with:
Libraries play an important role in educating patrons about the Internet. We can play a valuable role in educating young people about online privacy and the possible negative effects of putting too much of yourself online. In public libraries and school libraries, we can educate parents about the role they should play in monitoring what their kids are doing online. If you want to prevent all the problems of MySpace and Facebook, the key is educating the parents and making them get involved in their childrens' online lives.

D:

[siadea]

(That icon is the most awesome thing in the history of ever.)

Actually, I see that. I mean, computers, the internet - yes, when you take a long view of things, the internet and computers are definitely 'the new media.' Frankly, libraries haven't fully caught up with the internet yet.

As for that person... BEAT THEM WITH A FREAKING STICK AND CALL IT A DAY. Someone has a hobbyhorse, I think.

[ryuutchi]

(It's based off a cat macro I saw once. XD)

I know, it's just hard to remember that sometimes. I feel like I may be the only person in that class who grew up with this stuff, so incorporating it into library activities doesn't seem foreign to me at all.

Well, this person was also the one who said that before she read some of the class readings she thought that American teens never went through adolescence. Because she's Chinses and teens don't go through it the same way there-- which apparently means that adolescence doesn't exist at all in America.

[kikos_ai]

I was the youngest person in my MLIS class last year and it was weird. Everyone made me the goto for technology and OMG I know NOTHING.

And yeah, my Child Lit class made me feel awkward too. All that stuff about protecting children. Bah. Someone protect the librarian from the parents. >.<

PS. yay social networking!

[ryuutchi]

Heh. The nice part about online classes is that they don't know me and I can hide in my corner until I have something to say! (I do so love technology, though.)

Thankfully my Child Lit class doesn't go much in for that, although we were talking about Easy Readers and people got all het up because I said I thought they weren't necessary for smart, motivated kids. (God knows I thought Amelia Bedelia was stupid at age 6.)

PS HUZZAH. (Are you pretending to be someone else? My mommy told me not to make friends with people online because they do that and are EVIL WRONG BAD MEN. D:)

[leticia]

Hey, I've still been known to pick up an Amelia Bedelia book when I run across it just for amusement!

I still see no problem with reading Animal Farm right next to Mrs. Pigglewiggle.

But no, not necessary. Making kids go through all the basic things when they're solid readers if they're bored by it is a good way to make them hate reading.

[ryuutchi]

I keep saying! It's not that there is no use for Amelia Bedelia! It's just that they're not always necessary, since a motivated reader could be finished with picture stories (the full-on stories meant to be read by adults to kids, not the three-word-a-page ones) by 6. Not all readers start learning how to read between 6 and 8-- as one of my classmates tried to inform me.

The only time I read those was for school or if I was just working my way through a bookshelf.

[nobody_674]

Um, what does "YA" mean? Young American?

[ryuutchi]

Young Adult-- usually translated to mean 13-17, although it can drop to 11 or so and go up to 18 or 19, if you want to stretch it.

[debka_notion]

Young adult means 13-17?? I thought that it was something more like 10-14, at a stretch. At least, I thought some of them were fun in elementary school, and had outgrown all but the ones that are really ageless by middle school, except when I was looking for whiny stuff along the theme of "misery makes you special".

[ryuutchi]

That's the age we've been working with-- our kids lit classes are separated into three-- 0-6, 6-12, and 13+. The 13+ is YA, and usually we're talking about late middle school all the way through high school.

Yes, but it's a mindset thing. I know plenty of high school age students who wouldn't mind reading Issue Books, becaue it reminds them of their own lives. (And some who will read them because other people angsting is amusing.)