E-Technology Enhances the Young Generations' Ability to Communicate Effectively

In a recent study conducted by the Department of Computer Science, of the University of Maryland, boys and girls in this digital age were found equally involved in the Internet. E-mail, search, and instant messaging and Facebook are the top three activities for growing kids

The effects of prolific texting, emailing and messaging on attention span; social life; writing ability, self expression and family ties has a huge cultural phenomenon on youth.

This digital age can benefit teenagers and growing children at a time in life when they cannot always get together in an unscheduled way.

For families, the e-world can bring convenience to communicate instantly as never before in arranging rides, bridging distance, doing errands, informing parents of changed plans, seeking help during emergency situations, just like what happened recently in Norwalk, California, when a 7-year old boy called from a bathroom to save his family from three armed robbers.

The Disadvantages

Although some experts say that there are downsides too, like declines in spelling, word choice and writing complexity, along with other concerns like text-bullying and "sexting" (the term for adolescents messaging naked photos of themselves or others).

Some also say that it's addicting and could trigger mental conditions.

But,all these can actually be prevented through adequate parental guidance. And parents, or guardians can achieve this through:

• By closely monitoring your kids' activities;
• Get acquainted with their friends;
• Limiting the home browser to a child-friendly setting;
• Making an arrangement with your cellphone provider on your kids' access to the internet and setting up a limit on the minutes that they can use per month and messages that they can receive and send to their friends.

When exchanging messages with the kids, regardless of what medium we would opt to, parents should take the time to spell words completely, avoid abbreviations and unnecessary use of exclamation mark.

It is very important for us parents to explain (as thoroughly as we can) the disadvantages of digital communications. And, to let our kids know that what might have been intended for friends can be widely distributed all over the web, or through text and multi-media messaging (MMS). Likewise, we ought to make them aware of cyber predators all over the internet; and the presence of spammers and scammers, along with all the risks that they can pose to one's identity.

The Benefits

According to Al Filreis, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, many teachers and professors have seen the quality of student writing improve over the years. It started during the mid-1990s with the growing popularity of e-mail and again as an increasing number of cell phones has included keyboards.

"In writing, quantity tends to lead to quality," he said, "and we're doing quantity right now." Through texting and other instant communication, Filreis says, his students have learned hard-to-teach lessons about audience, succinctness and syntax.

Overall digital communications are found to be very effective; convenient; affordable; integrated; more reliable, personalized and can enhance reading and writing skills of the youngs.

Despite minimal downsides, e-communications will help our kids find their way in establishing relationships and real-self expression. It's just that we parents should really devote time to guide them constantly in learning the e-ways of communications, at the same instill the values we uphold at home.