Contributed | Zhang Mingyang
Because of the epidemic, this year's winter vacation has been released in many places in advance.
Chinese parents are beginning to get tangled again: on the one hand, they don't have enough time and energy to spend with their children; on the other hand, they are worried that their children are unrestrained on the Internet and become addicted to the so-called Internet.
Tencent recently announced a "limited play calendar" for minors to play games for 14 hours throughout the winter vacation. But in the eyes of many parents, the problem of playing games has been solved, and the problem of children's Internet access has come again.
Whether it's the length of time spent using electronics or the "safety" of Internet content, "restricting" and "managing" kids online can be said to be one of the most important things they do this winter break.
Are restrictions feasible? How does management work?
01
In 2008, a book called Born Digital sparked a global debate as soon as it was published.
In the context of this era, my five-year-old daughter is definitely a "digital native", in fact, from the post-90s to the post-10s. They are born with an omnipresent online world, the internet is their life, digital survival is the way they live from an early age, they are thinking, interacting, learning and socializing in new ways.
And my wife and I?? According to the definition of "Digital Natives", it can be counted as "digital immigration", in fact, the post-80s and pre-generation can be regarded as "digital immigration". With a stumbling accent of the old era, we have crossed the process of digital technology from scratch, which is tantamount to moving from a "world without the internet or mobile phones" to a "world with the internet and mobile phones".
▲ "Digital Natives" (Photo/Network)
Many Chinese families are almost all troubled by the same thing today: when parents as digital immigrants encounter children as digital natives, how should parents face the almost innate habit of "playing with mobile phones" of this group of indigenous peoples?
Many parents are repeatedly struggling with "casual play" and "not letting go", while also looking for the balance of the legend.
As the book Digital Natives put it: "The most lasting change triggered by the digital revolution is not new business models and new algorithm research, but the generational gap between those born in the digital age and those born in the non-digital age." ”
How do you cross this generational divide?
It's a leap, not a pretending not to exist.
02
Recently, the WeChat Open Class PRO held in Guangzhou discussed this topic through a roundtable forum.
In this forum called "WeChat is suitable for all ages, science and technology for the elderly and the protection of minors", many education experts repeatedly pointed out that if parents only take "what children are prohibited from doing" as an educational purpose, without considering the harmony of the overall family relationship, then the ban is 80% of the failure, and the family relationship is naturally not harmonious.
At the end of last year, a parent named Geng Yan shared a story called "How I Wrestled with My 13-Year-Old Child" at the Innovative Governance Summit for the Protection of Minors hosted by the Southern Metropolis Daily.
After repeatedly frustrated controlling her daughter's Internet access, Geng Yan wanted to confiscate the mobile phone directly, but after calming down, she thought: blindly banning it is no longer effective for children of this age; there is neglect and guidance, relaxation and degree, it may be more appropriate.
Geng Yan thought of the teen mode of the major platforms, and the problem of safety and addiction after opening was basically solved, but the function shield was too much, just like changing a product, the child was rebellious and psychologically heavy, and parents did not have much room to participate.
WeChat is a common tool for children, after opening the teen mode, children can still use it safely and smoothly, but there are also inconvenient places, such as links sent by teachers, but it may be blocked by teen mode.
Geng Yan tried to make suggestions to the WeChat team through user feedback channels: I hope that the youth model can provide more space for parents to participate. The WeChat team quickly contacted her and conducted in-depth research on the needs.
Graph/Network
In October last year, WeChat Youth Mode launched the "Guardian Authorization" function. After binding the teen mode guardian, when the child encounters content that cannot be accessed, he can apply for temporary access to the official account articles, Mini Programs, links and other content through parent verification password or send a link to the parent remote authorization.
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The true meaning of this story may be that education can't just say NO, we should take a clear stand in support of children's right to fair use of the Internet.
In terms of operability, as discussed in this year's WeChat open class PRO, banning children from surfing the Internet is basically not feasible except to worsen the parent-child relationship. Children will eventually grow up and mature, they will be out of control, and for these digital natives, simply and rudely isolating them from the Internet is obviously not feasible.
More importantly, banning children from accessing the Internet is a big era outside the mobile Internet, leaving children out of touch with the times. The internet and electronics are part of digital native life, and you can't deny it or pretend to turn a blind eye.
The famous American philosopher John Dewey once said: "Educating our children today in the way of yesterday will make them lose tomorrow." ”
But on the other hand, children do face problems in the online world, such as online pornography and violence, online bullying, online fraud, bad online behavior and habits, and excessive addiction to online games.
▲Figure/Figureworm creative
In response to this problem, in the past, we have placed more emphasis on the responsibility of the government. The United States and the European Union have long explored the establishment of a legal system for the protection of children online, focusing on avoiding children's exposure to inappropriate online content and strengthening the protection of children's online privacy. For example, the United States has previously introduced the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA).
In China's newly revised Law on the Protection of Minors, which came into effect in June this year, a "special chapter on online protection" has also been added.
04
However, the role and role of parents in the protection of children online has long been neglected.
As the book "How to Be a Good Parent in the Digital Age" puts it: "Parents are the most direct and important mediators for children's use of the Internet and digital media, rather than other entities such as governments, schools, and Internet companies." Parents play a central role in shaping children's online and digital media usage habits. ”
But the premise of doing so is that parents need to be qualified digital parents. That is to say, parents do not simply restrict their children's access to the Internet and use electronic devices, but give appropriate guidance and guidance when their children go online, helping to "shape their children's digital culture and digital citizen image".
▲Photo/Weibo
Bu Wei, a researcher at the Institute of Journalism and Communication of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out in the forum of the WeChat Open Class PRO: "(Parents) should educate or discipline children on the Internet on the basis of protecting children's rights and respecting children. The WeChat youth model is right to delegate some educational powers to parents, parents have guardianship responsibilities, and parents know their children best, but the premise is that parents must understand children's rights, understand education, and know basic media literacy knowledge. Consideration should also be given to media literacy education for parents, in addition to media literacy education for children. ”
That is to say, as a parent, in the face of the problem of children's Internet access, instead of focusing on how to criticize and control children, and on the Internet era where complaints are far-reaching, we should pay more attention to how to improve their digital literacy and effectively participate in the children's network protection.
What is the more suitable online content and online mode for children? From the perspective of digital parents, my understanding and self-expectation are: not to absolute content security as a standard, in addition to some general rules that should be formulated by the regulatory authorities, children of different ages should see what should not be seen, where the tight and measured "degree" is, it should be left to the parents to decide, parents are the best content moderators for their children.
How do you get along with children who are digital natives? I think, let's start with digital parents.
As for how to be a qualified and responsible digital parent, first ask yourself: In this winter vacation, in addition to simply managing children's internet time or even banning it, will you use the "guardian authorization" function of The WeChat teen mode?
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"After experiencing the intimate relationships of childhood, we will be saddened by the gradual transformation of children into new human beings, and the incomprehensible growth trends," Alison Gopnick wrote in the famous children's education book "The Gardener and the Carpenter". For better or worse, they will create their own digital age, their own world. ”
For the younger generation, the Internet is the cornerstone and foundation of this era, just like the paper books that have been turned over by their parents and grandparents, and also represent the top of the civilization of an era.
Each of us is in the midst of this civilization, tiptoeing out into the future.