Welcome to the Information Superhighway
That's the main message of this Guide. It's designed to welcome
you, and give you a simple step-by-step introduction to parenting
in a world of computers and new forms of media. This Guide
will provide some tools and rules for you to use with your
pre-high school and high school children at home, at school,
and in the community.
The Parent Perspective
It seems overnight there's a whole new world for kids—and
for you. From computers to software to the Internet—there
are so many new things, yet little guidance for parents trying
to figure it all out. (Boldface terms are defined in the Glossary).
That's why we decided to write this Guide. We hope to:
- Introduce parents to a new and changing media;
- Help parents use common sense parenting along with simple,
practical tips about the new technology; and
- Boost parents' confidence and jump-start their involvement
to make sure that new media will truly benefit children.
Who Is This Guide For?
This Guide is for parents who have begun to see that computers
and online services will be or already are a part of children's
lives at school, at community centers, at home, or at the
library—and who are looking for some guidelines and advice.
We have written it with the computer novice in mind, and have
provided simple definitions and ideas for how to get involved.
But we hope that parents who have already become online travelers
will find useful tips as well. We recognize that it is not
possible to meet the needs of every parent through one Guide.
But hopefully this Guide provides a starting point for all
parents to get involved. For more specialized information,
please refer to the resources on page 25.
What Does This Guide Cover?
Working with the National PTA and the National Urban League,
The Children's Partnership talked to dozens of parents. We
found these most frequently asked questions, which this Guide
sets out to answer:
This Guide focuses on computers and services that allow young
people to go beyond their own computer at school or at home
and link into a wider world. We focus on the "online" world—at
this time mostly represented by the Internet and the World Wide
Web—though other aspects of the superhighway are sometimes
discussed.
While we try to give parents a brief survey of current technology,
we have emphasized parenting strategies in a world where children
and young people often know more than their parents. Although
we don't focus on CD-ROMs, video games, or computer software,
we do refer to them, and many of the parenting tips for being
online also apply to these media.
How to Use This Guide
The Guide can be used in two ways:
- You can read it straight through and find a basic road
map to the superhighway, along with road signs to other
helpful information (see the Resources
section); or
- You can jump to the area that seems most useful to you.
At the bottom of each file are links to every section of
the Guide.
Last Word
The history of media, and television especially, has taught
us some important lessons when it comes to children. First,
media has a very powerful influence on young people. Second,
without strong public attention to media issues, children's
best interests are not adequately served. These lessons are
especially important today, as a new information society is
being created. In addition to helping parents do the best
for their own children, we hope that this Guide helps parents
connect with institutions like the National PTA and the National
Urban League as well as their local schools and community
institutions to ensure that this new generation of media is
good for all kids. Lazarus and Laurie Lipper DIRECTORS
© 1998 The Children's Partnership. All Rights Reserved.
Click here to view Footnotes.
