Growing Up in Public
Coming of Age in a Digital World
-
- 11,99 €
-
- 11,99 €
Descrizione dell’editore
The definitive book on helping kids navigate growing up in a world where nearly every moment of their lives can be shared and compared
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
With social media and constant connection, the boundaries of privacy are stretched thin. Growing Up in Public shows parents how to help tweens and teens navigate boundaries, identity, privacy, and reputation in their digital world.
We can track our kids’ every move with apps, see their grades within minutes of being posted, and fixate on their digital footprint, anxious that a misstep could cause them to be “canceled” or even jeopardize their admission to college. And all of this adds pressure on kids who are coming of age immersed in social media platforms that emphasize “personal brand,” “likes,” and “gotcha” moments. How can they figure out who they really are with zero privacy and constant judgment? Devorah Heitner shows us that by focusing on character, not the threat of getting caught or exposed, we can support our kids to be authentically themselves.
Drawing on her extensive work with parents and schools as well as hundreds of interviews with kids, parents, educators, clinicians, and scholars, Heitner offers strategies for parenting our kids in an always-connected world. With relatable stories and research-backed advice, Growing Up in Public empowers parents to cut through the overwhelm to connect with their kids, recognize how to support them, and help them figure out who they are when everyone is watching.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Heitner (Screenwise), a former media studies professor at Lake Forest College who now runs parenting workshops, offers astute advice on how parents can help their children navigate social media and other technology. She warns against using tech to surveil kids, suggesting apps that track teenagers' whereabouts limit their chances to learn to "make good decisions independently." Offering an evenhanded assessment of social media, she notes that while platforms can produce anxiety about not getting enough likes, they also provide opportunities for self-expression; for instance, she shares the story of a mother who learned of her son's dancing abilities from watching his TikToks. The levelheaded guidance is a refreshing antidote to more alarmist takes on the topic (Heitner suggests that sexting can be a "healthy form of teenage sexual exploration" and outlines talking points to discuss with teens about sexting ethically and safely, such as excluding one's face from intimate photos), though she's elsewhere short on specifics, as when she urges parents to help "kids grapple with their ‘public' audience in an intentional, empowered way" without clarifying how to do so. Still, parents will find this a useful roadmap for helping children cope with the perils of growing up online.
