Parenting the Net Generation

1. Parenting the Net Generation Western Psychological Association Convention April 12, 2008 Larry Rosen, Ph.D CSU Dominguez Hills

2. Welcome to the “Media” Generation According to the Kaiser Family Foundation 2005 National Study Children Spend 6 Hours and 21 Minutes PER DAY using digital media or 44 hours PER WEEK Accounting for Multitasking, this increases to 8 Hours 33 Minutes PER DAY or 60 HOURS PER WEEK

3. WHAT ARE THEY DOING WITH THEIR MEDIA? Here are data from my 2007 study

4. Hours and Minutes Spent Per Day Using Media WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

5. BUT THEY DO NOT USE THESE MEDIA ALONE

6. Number of Tasks at the Same Time When Have Free Time Online Use Computer E-Mail IM/Chat Talk on Phone Text Message Video Games Listen Music Watch TV Eat Read Talking f2f Eating Online Music TV E-Mail Music Eating Online IM/Chat Phone Online Eating Music Texting E-Mail Music Eating Online TV Phone Eating TV Music Phone F2F N=135 N=208 N=335 N=329 N=312 AGE GROUP

7. One of their favorite online activities is spending time on MySpace, Facebook, or other social networking websites

8. What’s so Special About MySpace? • Fastest Growing Website in History • More Traffic than ANY Other Website • 110 MILLION Unique Visitors a Month • 5th Largest Country in the World • 80% of 12- to 17-year-olds use MySpace • Weekly!

9. What Do They Do on MySpace? • Collect “Friends” • Provide Personal Information • Display Photos • Play Music • Create Blogs • Get Public Comments from “friends” • IM/Chat with “Friends”

10. FOR MANY PRE-TEENS, TEENS, AND YOUNG ADULTS MYSPACE IS THEIR SOCIAL LIFE

11. How are Net Geners Unique? • They were born into a world replete with • technology • MySpace is all-consuming • The MySpace profile is central to their social • lives • They use MySpace for making friends • They use MySpace for trying on different • identities • PARENTING IS MORE DIFFICULT NOW THAN IN ANY PREVIOUS GENERATION

12. We live in world where rapid change is the norm. For many, it is stressful. For Net Geners, it is the only way they know how to life their lives.

13. The Pace of Technology Change is Dizzying Years to Reach 50 Million Users What’s Next?

14. We are in the Midst of Three Vastly Different Generations That Differ on Personal and Work Values Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) Generation X (born 1965-1979) Net Generation (born after 1979)

15. To better understand how to parent a Net Gener, it is important to focus on the differences between these children, teens, and young adults and their Gen X and Baby Boomer parents in terms of their personal and work values.

16. WORK VALUES: Baby Boomers Single Lifetime Job Fiercely Loyal to Company Work is Life/Personally Fulfilling Avoid Making Waves Everyone has a Voice – Boss Sets the Rules Team Player – Loves Meetings

17. WORK VALUES: Baby Boomers (continued) Routines are Important Process vs. Product Face-to-Face or Telephone Communication Learned Technology After School Motivated by Being “Valued”

18. WORK VALUES: Generation X Multiple Jobs to Find a “Career” Work to Have More Fun in Life Self-Reliant: Set Own Time Plan Challenge Authority: Ask Why Motivated by Rewards at the End of Every Project

19. WORK VALUES: Generation X (continued) Grew Up With Technology Prefer Cell Phone or E-Mail Communication Want Immediate Access to Bosses Good Multitaskers Product vs. Process: They Hate Meetings

20. WORK VALUES: Net Generation Build a Career Through Skill Acquisition Balance Between Life and Work Goal Oriented But Collegiality Important Want Meaningful Work – Not Boredom Motivated by Working with Bright/Creative People and Learning New Skills

21. WORK VALUES: Net Generation (continued) Need Constant, Instantaneous Feedback Communicate via IM, Chat, Texting Grew Up With Everything Technological Multitaskers to the Nth Degree

22. PERSONAL VALUES Baby Boomers Optimistic and Self-Confident Beginnings of Fractured Family Structure Politically Active Buy Now, Pay Later

23. PERSONAL VALUES Generation X Skeptical and Low Trust of Authority Latchkey Kids Political Apathy Monetarily Conservative: Save Save Save

24. PERSONAL VALUES Net Generation Realistic World View – Trust Authority Blended Families – Strong Family Bonds Political and Community Action Earn to Spend

25. Clearly these three generations are different on many dimensions. These differences become issues to consider when parenting children, teens, and young adults

26. HOW DO TECHNOLOGY USE AND PARENTING STYLE IMPACT PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH? My Recent Research With Parents, Pre-Teens, Teens, and Young Adults Answers Some of These Questions

27. FIVE STUDIES • Study 1: February 2006 • N = 1,257 MySpacers; 241 Teenagers • Study 2: June 2006 N = 267 Parent-Teen Pairs • Study 3: September 2006 N = 342 Parent-Teen Pairs • Study 4: March 2007 N = 482 Parent-Teen Pairs • Study 5: September 2007 N = 1,319 Pre-Teens, Teens, and Adults

28. Kids Parents MySpace Behaviors MySpace Experiences MySpace Attitudes Parent-Teen Attachment Parent-Teen Intimacy Self-Esteem Internet Addiction Depression Online/Offline Honesty Online/Offline Shyness Online Social Confidence Parenting Style Computer Location Parent Awareness of Online Behavior Limits on Media Use (Internet, MySpace, Video Games, etc.) Parent Concerns (Sexual Solicitation, Cyberbullying, Pornography, etc.)

29. PARENTING STYLE • Two Dimensions • Control/Demandingness/Strictness/Supervision • “My parents know exactly where I am most • afternoons after school” • Warmth/Responsiveness/Parental Involvement • “I can count on my parent to help me out if I • have some kind of problem.”

30. AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING INDULGENT PARENTING AUTHORITARIAN PARENTING NEGLECTFUL PARENTING

31. Parenting Styles

35. April 7, 2008 Study Ties Bedroom TV to Unhealthy Habits in Teens Teens With TVs in Rooms Have Lower Grades, Poorer Diets

42. CONCLUSIONS Parenting style impacts the online behaviors, psychological health, and attitudes of children, teens, and young adults.

43. IMPLICATIONS Overall, Authoritative parenting setting clear limits with warmth, caring, and teen input positively impacts all aspects of teen interactions with MySpace.

44. RECOMMENDATIONS Develop an Authoritative Parenting Style • Do set rules and limits on technology use and • behavior • Do ask your children for their thoughts and • ideas about these rules and limits • Set consequences for violations

45. RECOMMENDATIONS “Proactive vs. Reactive Parenting” • Have Discussions in Advance • Set Consequences in Advance • When Something “New” Pops up Use • Reactive Parenting

46. THE T.A.L.K. MODEL OF PARENTING • Trust • Assess • Learn • “K”ommunicate

47. TRUST • No Clandestine Eavesdropping • No Technological Filters • Discuss, Don’t Remove/Punish

48. ASSESS • Pay Attention to Technology Use • Consider Technology Location • Practice Co-Viewing • Establish a Habit of Overt Observation • Visit Their MySpace – Often – and Pay • Attention to Their “Friends”

49. LEARN • Gain Knowledge • Learn From Your Children • Create Your Own MySpace/Facebook Page • Try ALL Their Technologies. Ask Them to • Show You How to Use Them (IM, text, video • games, YouTube, and Whatever is the Next • Big Rage)

50. “K”ommunicate • Have Proactive Family Discussions – Often • but Short • Create More “Face Time” Through Family • Dinners or Evening Games/TV Watching • Use Any Opportunity to Communicate – • Don’t Let Kids Escape Through Technology