Growing Up Online

As suburban New Jersey teenager Greg puts it, he “wouldn't know what to do with himself” if he lost access to his computer. Greg also admits to using a website called SparkNotes rather than reading assigned books and plays. Growing Up Online, which aired on PBS's Frontline, takes a critical yet balanced look at Greg's generation, young people who use digital technology to send e-mail, watch videos, play games, and “accumulate friends” on Facebook, MySpace, and other social-networking sites. While his grandparents might've been mystified by the “new math,” Greg is able to teach his parents how to send text messages, although they—in turn—monitor his online activities. Directors Rachel Dretzin and John Maggio speak with students, authors, instructors, and administrators about the effects of the new cyber-culture on adolescents. Some teachers point to a lack of focus on the part of today's teens (not an entirely new phenomenon), while parents worry about sexual predators, but the kids themselves see more benefits (such as virtual-world popularity) than drawbacks (such as cyber-bullying). Carrying a “viewer discretion” warning for suggestive imagery and strong (though not profane) language, Growing Up Online also features a PDF discussion guide. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (K. Fennessy)