Risk and Reward

Yesterday, I wrote about rewards and the fact that they are not a significant part of my parental or scholastic repertoire.  In fact, I am opposed to them as a "Go To" strategy for facilitating my kids' achievement.

Today, I'd like to clarify and expand.  If I don't subscribe to the use of extrinsic rewards as a motivator at home or in my classroom, then what is it that I think "works". Ownership works. Of course, I try to build rapport and communicate clearly.  And, I don't treat kids as tabula rasa or do try to "be their buddy". 

It's remarkable how often I see an adult taking advantage of the age differential with teens along the lines of "I said so." 

Here's a thought:  Kids understand social interaction better than adults.  

Here's why:  Adolescents today have been exposed to more examples of human interaction than I have.  I grew up with TV and reality (not Reality TV).  Teenagers have access to hundreds of channels on television as compared to my ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and the local network.  

And then there's You Tube.  Game over?

I recently wrote that video will be the dominant form of communication before long.  It's not to say that the printed word isn't important (though, it's role will, primarily, be relegated to the planning of the video or in a truncated fashion - texting, Tweeting, etc.).

Books will continue to exist, but video will reign supreme.  It's easier than ever to capture, edit and distribute.  Entire industries will be impacted (Hollywood & publishing, in particular).

Bottom line, this generation is audio-visual.  Their world is brought to them via screens & speakers.  Go ahead and fight it - I dare you.  There are better (and easier) battles to fight, though.

The idea I'm sharing here is that the "observing" that kids do regarding  human interaction, modeling and norming is changing.  Tipper Gore wanted to get rid of Devil Music back in the 80s.  I can only imagine what she might think of the Hong Kong Kids.  Putting a warning label on a record or keeping kids out of the music store,  is one thing.  Unplugging kids from all the information in the universe and at their fingertips is another.  

We shouldn't unplug kids, anyway.  It's essential for their development 

Real human interaction will never go away either, of course.  At the very least, teens crave their peer time.   They are still getting this at school, at the mall and at practice, but the virtual observations are a constant background noise everyday.  And it's engaging as hell.

And, let's not forget that parents of kids a generation back complained about video games, time on the telephone and watching too much TV, etc. Really, not that much different than today on the surface.

But below the surface - below the proverbial tip - there is a massive digital information iceberg.  Adults have little control over our kids' media consumption and communication.  It's mobile and infinite.  Our kids can access anything at anytime. 
  
“If you want to teach people a new way of thinking, don't bother trying to teach them. Instead, give them a tool, the use of which will lead to new ways of thinking.” 
― Richard Buckminster Fuller