Distraction

It is said that children become lonely, that they no longer know what to do with themselves. However, this is less their fault than that of the parents. They are the real culprits. This was also shown in a recent viral post on Facebook by a lawyer who points out the social media sins of parents. In the post, the man describes the actions of numerous fathers and mothers: Without any hesitation (it seems), they published highly personal, even intimate photos of their children. I share his incomprehension. He explains that "even with meticulously selected privacy settings, the "distribution circle" on social networks is unmanageably large in most cases. What he means to say is that the way people present their children, and in some cases their entire careers, on social platforms is simply negligent. And you don't have to be surprised if the photos reappear years later in a completely different place.

But that's not all. What I also don't understand is when the new devices are portrayed as scapegoats for the children's unpleasant developments. But whose fault is that? It's not the machines, and even less the bored children themselves. It is not the machine that is the scapegoat, but the way it is used. So often, when kids complain that they don't know what to do, I see parents "sedating" them with the devices. They just shove an iPad in their hands for entertainment. When I think of parents upgrading their cars, installing screens so that yes, the youngsters won't be bored on the drive south, I can get really upset. What did we do back then? We had to look out of the window until boredom made us invent a game. What this has to do with the lawyer's contribution? The fuss about the danger of the "new media" reflects one thing above all: a double standard. How are children supposed to learn the right way to deal with the new "distraction possibilities" if their parents support them in the "wrong" way? How are children supposed to learn what has a place in social networks and what doesn't, if their parents have already shared countless photos of their children's careers?

In principle, I have nothing against sharing - I preach "sharing is caring" often enough. But that's exactly the point: caring also means not sharing. Parents have it in their hands. They can control, they can still be role models. They are the ones who show their children how to behave on social networks and how to use the devices. I already feel sorry for the children who later see how their parents uploaded all those photos to the Internet.

Manuel P. Nappo, Director of Studies CAS Social Media Management HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich. www.fh-hwz.ch/smm