Parenting the Net Generation

Parenting the Net Generation


Western Psychological Association Convention

April 12, 2008

Larry Rosen, Ph.D

CSU Dominguez Hills


Welcome to the “Media” GenerationAccording 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


WHAT ARE THEY DOING WITH THEIR MEDIA?

Here are data from my 2007 study


WHAT ARE THEY DOING?MEDIA 11-17 18-25

Music 3:53 3:13

Television 2:50 2:25

Online 2:36 2:26

IM/Chat 2:09 1:21

Telephone 2:05 1:58

Text Messaging 2:02 2:40

Using a Computer – Not Online 1:56 2:21

Video Games 1:32 0:43

E-Mail 1:17 1:34

TOTAL 20:20 18:41

Hours and Minutes Spent Per Day Using Media


BUT THEY DO NOT USE

THESE MEDIA ALONE


EatingTVMusicPhoneF2F

EatingOnlineMusicTVE-MailOnline

EatingMusicTextingE-Mail

MusicEatingOnlineIM/ChatPhone

MusicEatingOnlineTVPhone

1. Online 2. Use Computer3. E-Mail4. IM/Chat5. Talk on Phone6. Text Message7. Video Games8. Listen Music9. Watch TV10. Eat11. Read12. Talking f2f

Number of Tasks at the Same Time When Have Free Time

AGE GROUP

N=135 N=208 N=335 N=329 N=312


One of their favorite online activities is spending time on

MySpace, Facebook, or other social networking websites


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!


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”


FOR MANY PRE-TEENS, TEENS, AND YOUNG ADULTS

MYSPACE IS THEIR SOCIAL LIFE


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


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.


Years to Reach 50 Million Users

The Pace of Technology Change is Dizzying

What’s Next?


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)


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.


WORK VALUES: Baby BoomersSingle 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


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”


WORK VALUES: Generation X

Multiple Jobs to Find a “Career”

Self-Reliant: Set Own Time Plan

Work to Have More Fun in Life

Challenge Authority: Ask Why

Motivated by Rewards at the End of Every Project


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


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


WORK VALUES: Net Generation

(continued) Need Constant, Instantaneous Feedback

Communicate via IM, Chat, Texting

Grew Up With Everything Technological

Multitaskers to the Nth Degree


PERSONAL VALUES Baby Boomers

Optimistic and Self-Confident

Beginnings of Fractured Family Structure

Politically Active

Buy Now, Pay Later


PERSONAL VALUESGeneration X

Skeptical and Low Trust of Authority

Latchkey Kids

Political Apathy

Monetarily Conservative: Save Save Save


PERSONAL VALUESNet Generation

Realistic World View – Trust Authority

Blended Families – Strong Family Bonds

Political and Community Action

Earn to Spend


Clearly these three generations are different on many

dimensions. These differences become issues to consider when parenting children, teens, and young adults


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


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


Kids Parents


PARENTING STYLETwo 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.”


High Warmth

High Strictness

High Warmth

Low Strictness

Low Warmth

High Strictness

Low Warmth

Low Strictness

AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING

INDULGENT PARENTING

AUTHORITARIAN PARENTING

NEGLECTFUL PARENTING


Parenting StylesParenting Styles


April 7, 2008

Study Ties Bedroom TV to Unhealthy Habits in Teens

Teens With TVs in Rooms Have Lower Grades, Poorer Diets


CONCLUSIONS

Parenting style impacts the online behaviors, psychological health, and

attitudes of children, teens, and young adults.


IMPLICATIONS

Overall, Authoritative parenting

setting clear limits with warmth,

caring, and teen input

positively impacts all aspects of

teen interactions with MySpace.


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


RECOMMENDATIONS“Proactive vs. Reactive Parenting”

• Have Discussions in Advance

• Set Consequences in Advance

• When Something “New” Pops up Use

Reactive Parenting


THE T.A.L.K. MODEL OF PARENTING

• Trust

• Assess

• Learn

• “K”ommunicate


TRUST

• No Clandestine Eavesdropping

• No Technological Filters

• Discuss, Don’t Remove/Punish


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”


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)


“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


PRACTICE GOOD BEHAVIORAL PARENTING

• Punish only when needed and practice “Least Restrictive Alternatives”

• Catch Them Being Good

• Model Appropriate Behavior (TV, phone)

• Monitor Sleep Habits & Caffeine Consumption

• Control Impulse to Yank the Plug


Using Net Gen Language:

Thk u vry mch 4 ur time.NE q’s 4 me?

Parenting the Net Generation

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