Why does it always come down to the internet replacing books, rather than the two co-existing?

How else can you explain the copy of Wikinomics on my bookshelf, alongside The Long Tail, Join The Coversation, Unleash the Ideavirus etc?

The main problems that are being highlighted regarding children online and using videogames are mainly because parents, educational institutions and other organisations are too scared to actually participate and understand the online world to find the best solutions.

And maybe some of that is down to us proclaiming the end of print, books, TV etc

Hi Dan, thanks for the comment.
To clarify, I wasn’t proclaiming the end of books. I know many of my friends, myself included like to read and try to find time to read. What I was referring to more specifically, was when it comes to elementary school/highschool/university students doing research for projects, papers etc. When I was younger I remember doing a lot of research using books and encyclopedias but now all the young peopel I know (and I have to admit even when I was in university) I have a hard time thinking of people who actually used books to help with their research. The closest they come to reading books is online journal articles. (And that may also be a function of parents not encouraging their children to read from a young age) That’s not to say that books are dead, obviously people will continue reading recreationally and out of interest. But specifically when it comes to an academic setting. For example, a young child working on a project on trees. I think they would sooner do that research on the internet and find pictures of different trees on the internet than go to their school library to find that book (unless encouraged by parents).

As the parent of an almost-10 year old who is itching to join the world of online social networking, I am definitely concerned about the risks, and agree with Ming’s comments that most kids don’t fully understand the implications of sharing photos / personal information online. Kids need parental guidance to be safe online just the same as with any other aspect of life.

Pre-teens and teens need space to try out social behaviours and personas: to define themselves against others. In my youth, electronic communication was limited to one phone in the middle of the house (not very private!). However, I had much more physical freedom to roam around town and hang out with my friends in person.

Sure, new technology presents new risks, but there are also new rewards. Today’s kids will know how to communicate (and collaborate!) in all sorts of ways. I am personally very excited about what the future might hold for my child. I just hope I can keep up!

Andrew Keen recently touched on the subject of children, security and the web here:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comment/andrew-keen-on-new-media-805349.html

I agree with Ming that Web 2.0 technologies are revolutionizing how young people communicate. I graduated high school just three years ago and even as recently as 2005, we were not allowed to use internet sources, even academic databases, as sources for our papers and projects. As an undergraduate student at UT last semester, I was compiling my groups’ individual works cited and found that one group member cited an unsubstantiated Wikipedia article as a source for our academic project. She was offended when I asked her to find a more reliable source.

I wholeheartedly believe Wikipedia is an incredible tool and a great place to begin research, but it can hardly be the final word. Young researchers must learn how to use these resources wisely. As young students’ reliance on internet resources for academic purposes grows, so too must schools’ understanding of the technologies’ implications and appropriate uses. Schools must adapt and teach students basic things like what constitutes a good source. Blocking wiki platforms and social networks on district computers is not the solution. Students must be taught that the internet’s greatest strength, its freedom and availability of information, is also its greatest weakness. Children’s use of web 2.0 technology is not just a parent’s responsibility.