My Green Worlds

While we were traveling about Kauai I told Karen it would be nice to have a CD of Hawaiian music to listen to as we toured. We looked in a couple of shops and found a limited selection of mostly contemporary stuff. But I wanted the “Golden Oldie” type of music, the songs I had heard as a kid when I first dreamed of someday visiting Hawaii.

We finally found exactly what I was looking for at a kisok in the Coconut MarketPlace. The very friendly and helpful man running the business was Andy Anderson, and in the accompanying photo you can see him handing me the Hawaiian music CD. Andy had an excellent selection, from some of the earliest Hawaiian music, right up to the most recent recordings. The following evening we saw Andy again, but this time he was set up in front of the Foodland in Princeville. I understand that there is usually someone working the kisok at both places.

Virtual worlds have become a growing power in kids’ online activities. In 2008, an estimated eight million US children and teens visited virtual worlds on a regular basis. It is estimated that by 2013 this number will be doubled. Virtual worlds are a relatively new phenomenon, so there isn’t much research on their impact on kids. As parents, we ask: Is it safe? Is it educational? Do our children benefit from this activity? In lack of long-term research the best answer seems to be that like every other activity we choose to do, when it is measured and in balance with other activities, it can be enjoyable, harmless and sometimes even educational. It is our responsibility as parents to direct our children to safe constructive activities that will help them to grow as people and become contributing citizens. The same thing is true for choosing online activities for them and specifically for virtual worlds. As parents we have to make sure that our children visit virtual worlds that are suited for their age and are safe for them. We also want to direct our children to virtual worlds that offer quality content and educational value.

We would be the first to recognize that the Internet is a wondrous tool. It is incredible for educational purposes and a way to communicate online at any hour about shared interests. However, those of us who are over 35 depended mainly on books and teachers for learning when we were young. We interacted in person with our peers on high school and college campuses. Today, for our teens and even much younger kids, the world is a click away on the Internet to communicate with folks across the globe without any human interaction. That’s why we need to think differently when protecting our kids online – it’s a different perspective.

We should welcome this incredible access for our kids. However, there are perils in their becoming dependent on the Internet as their prime educational and social outlet. Many kids are incredibly savvy about how to navigate the Internet, but that does not mean that they have the judgment to dodge the dangers of the Internet – from misinformation, to predators, to being victims of spyware. We take it seriously to shed light on how to protect our children online.