| Guide to the Information Superhighway
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.
- 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.
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.
Wendy Lazarus and Laurie Lipper DIRECTORS
© 1998 The Children's Partnership.
All Rights Reserved.
Click here to view Footnotes.
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