Tech-KNOW-logy: A letter to my former high school students and my future teenage children

Dear former students and future mini-me & my-girl:

I remember a time when cell phones were the size of bricks and were scarce...like I only really saw Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell use one...

Zack Morris. Very cool (in the 90's).

I remember when a word processor was so much cooler than a type writer and I would to use it to type up my school papers.

Word processor...I can't BELIEVE I used to used these

I remember when instead of seeing people attached to their cell phones, I’d see them listening to music on their walk-mans or boom boxes or perhaps (gasp) not using any gadget while walking.

Loved walkmans..P.S. my first cassette ever was Vanilla Ice, baby.

I remember a time when I had to use a payphone to call someone (yup..don’t miss that one).

I remember when I would walk on my college campus in the late 90’s and could lock eyes with almost anyone and say hi to them because we didn’t have many hand-held distractions back then.

I remember when I was watching an episode of one of the first reality TV shows ever, called the Real World on MTV, and thought: Are there really people that stupid who would want to expose so many intimate, personal details of their lives on television?

It doesn’t seem that long ago. Ok, well maybe it's a little longer than I’d like to admit.

Of course, now we all live in one of the most cutting-edge and exciting times. You are part of an amazing generation. Your potential is limitless and your options are vast.

Never before has the world been so small. We can go on a business trip and “be home” via skype to read a bedtime story to the kiddos. We can “face time” family and friends from wherever we are in the world. 

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We can save the planet a little bit more by uploading a textbook on our phones instead of reading the real, printed version.

We can get the latest news without having to read a newspaper or turn on a TV.

We can share videos of natural disasters to learn from them and to warn those who might be in its path of destruction.

We can share do-it-yourself videos and recipes on YouTube to help others achieve similar or the same results.

So many advantages...and yet there are disadvantages, too.

When I taught you in high school, I was amazed and saddened how so many of you would write your assignments in texting language, like “UR”, “2nite”, “IMHO”, and “GR8”, instead of writing the proper word.

Some of you could text what seemed like one hundred words a minute, but couldn’t sign your names properly at the age of 17…one year away from adulthood.

A few of you could practically hack into the FBI mainframe database but couldn’t find the words to talk to that student sitting right next to you.

There were so many of you who shared way too much of your lives with people you never met before. You shared videos, posted pictures, made weird duck faces and laughed at the comments made by anonymous trolls.

Instead of watching the now numerous reality shows available, you are the star of your own reality show with just touch of a button on your phone.

Several of you could define “web words” and slang such as defrag, hot-spots, cached-out, or ping…but couldn’t explain the difference between their, they’re or there.

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Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not ragging on being tech-saavy. I love what technology does for us. I truly love how it does make the world a little smaller and how it can re-connect us with loved ones. 

I love how it allows us to take a sneak peek into the lives of people of different ethnicity, creeds, and religions, and has the potential to teach and preach tolerance and love. 

I love how I can type, better yet, speak an address into my phone and almost instantly receive driving directions to my next destination. 

I love how I can find recipes and find blog after blog written by amazing, uplifting people who help me be a better mother, wife, daughter, sister…a better me.

But there’s this nagging feeling that I have with technology and it has to do with lack of balance.

We need to balance our tech-lives with more moderation and with more wisdom. We need to be careful not to become so addicted that we lose sight of the incredible advantages our gadgets can provide.

As I sit back and think about how far we’ve come with technology, here are a few thoughts that come into my mind based on my real life experiences with observing you all . As we continue growing with our ever-changing technology, let’s KNOW how to use it:

K- Keep it real. I mean really real. Take a break from updating your Facebook status or playing one more “instance” in your role-playing game of choice and try re-connecting with your RL (real-life) friends in other ways. Call a friend on the phone to hear their voice for a change (and to have them hear yours) instead of texting. Have a face-to-face conversation with a loved one. Send a handwritten note to someone who needs it. Have meaningful family time without glancing at and worrying about your phone.

N- Say “No” to divulging too much. Technology really is a double edged sword. Due to how small the world now seems, it gives us instant accessibility to anything and everything…and anything and everything has access to us. By being prudent in what we share online, we can protect ourselves a little more from others who want to gain access to us and to the people in our lives. Limit the personal information you share. Be respectful of others and don’t share their information or pictures, either (without permission). Be safe and selective of what you share. Don’t be impulsive. You never know what will come back to haunt you 10 or 15 years from now when you’re trying to land that dream job or when your own children start to “google” your name.

O- Be open with your parents about the information coming to you via your phone (and what you’re sharing, too). A lot of kids forget that their parents care about them. Truly care and love them. One of the worst things kids do is make choices that alienate themselves from their parents and families or make choices that make their parents distrust them. When inappropriate comments, pictures or other information are coming your way, have the courage to be open with your parents. Talk to them. Also, it’s important to note that cyber-bullying is a huge threat today with real consequences for some teens and their families. Your parents can be huge components and catalysts to helping you get the negative out and the positive back into your life.  

W- Be weary of who you give your number to. This is similar to not divulging too much of your personal life with others. If you start to give your cell phone number to everyone, everyone has access to you. That means they can potentially harass you by sending pictures or messages you don’t want to see and read (until you block their number). Remember, even private texts can become public. Don’t respond to people you don’t know, either. I'm not saying never share your number with anyone...just be sensible.

If you've already made some mistakes, learn from them. Be an agent of accountability and responsibility. Act for yourself, rather than be acted upon by others. Just use that good ol' noggin and KNOW what you're getting into. 

With love,

Someone who cares: Your former teacher and...for a couple of you, your loving mom