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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,
which is also accessible by clicking on the Glossary button
on the left navigation menu). That's why we decided to write
this Guide. We hope to:
- Introduce parents to a new and changing
media;
- Help parents use commonsense 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.
Wendy Lazarus and Laurie Lipper DIRECTORS
©1998 The Children's Partnership.
All Rights Reserved. |
