I recently made
a trip to Seoul, South Korea. While I was there, nearly
7,000 miles from home, I had a glimpse into the future.
Let me explain. I went to Seoul to represent the United
States in the first International Conference on Youth
Protection and Empowerment in Cyberspace. At the conference
I joined delegates from eight other countries to identify
emerging issues related to Internet use and children. In
the end, we drafted a joint statement on "providing
youth with a safe, useful cyberspace." The statement
was a strong symbol of international teamwork - the kind
of cooperation we will need to ensure our kids avoid the
peril and seek the promise of the World Wide Web.
My glimpse into the future came when our South Korean hosts
explained their reasons for organizing the conference. It
turns out that South Korea is about two years ahead of the
U.S., technologically speaking. And what a difference two
years can make.
Everywhere, all day long, most South Korean youth play online
games, listen to music, watch television, record movies,
and surf the Web on their cell phones. Unfortunately, the
advanced technology has escalated issues that we have begun
experiencing here.
In the States, reports of serious video game and Internet
addiction are rare enough to be shocking. In South Korea,
this kind of compulsive behavior is on the verge of an epidemic.
Online gambling is also a big problem. So are online predators.
With more kids spending more time in cyberspace, dangerous
adults have more opportunities to take advantage of them.
One representative informed me that within one year they
have already documented, worldwide, 750,000 cases of child
abuse facilitated by the Internet. In many ways, the future
I saw in South Korea poses some risks for our kids.
Much of what I saw on the other side of the ocean is exciting.
Technology will continue to advance, and American kids will
be eager to take advantage. But I also have little doubt
that some of the serious problems we're already beginning
to see here will get worse.
At the same time, however, my trip to Seoul helped me see
the possibilities of a brighter future too. South Korea
has 40 government sponsored treatment programs to deal with
video game and Internet addiction. Representatives from
other countries told me about other creative solutions.
All over the world, we're studying media-related problems,
and we're doing something about them. In other words, despite
its many perils, I have reason to believe we are heading
toward a more MediaWise future.
We can't expect experts and leaders to fix our future. A
MediaWise tomorrow starts at home. Pay attention to the
technology in your kids' hands. Make sure your family understands
the importance of safe and healthy limits. We have a chance
to choose what comes next - let's work together to make
the right choice.
David Walsh, Ph.D. is the founder of the
MediaWise Movement, a program of the National Institute
on Media and the Family (www.mediawise.org).
His latest book, Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide
to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen, is a national
bestseller.
