By Doreen Brown

The core family values have remained pretty much the same for centuries; and while up to now, family members were the only ones molding the children’s system of values, social media has now stepped in to lend a hand. Unfortunately, not always in the same direction the parents were aiming towards.

Values shape the way in which we live our lives, they stand as representatives of how children learn, grow and function within society. We normally associate them with family because, more often than not, they are passed on from generation to generation, family members being the ones that shape the way in which individuals feel about themselves and the world around them, as well as shape how they interact with others. And while guiding children in the right direction was never an easy task, according to many concerned parents, doing so in the age of Tweets, Likes and +1s makes it even more difficult.

However, if we were to take a look at the most frequently encountered family values, we’d have love, intelligence, empathy, family, charm, humor, kindness and more of the sorts. Can anyone honestly say that Facebook, for example, doesn’t scream out all of these things? How many posts of puppies up for adoption, family pictures, love statements, humoristic posts have you seen in your Facebook news feed lately?

Truth is, from Twitter to Facebook, or Pinterest to Google+, social media is a means of communication and expression. Even if the direct component might be missing, all these platforms enable a way of expression that a child might be unwilling to express face to face. Let’s take blogs for instance; adolescents—normally quite reluctant to share their thoughts and feelings with family members or even close friends—actually blog about what they’re going through; not only that, but they are frequently approached (in the form of comments) by youths facing similar problems, and they end up forming their own version of a support group. While this type of behavior could be subjected to interpretation, it’s better than no social interaction whatsoever.

Some even believe that social media is, in a way, bringing back our grandparent’s values; okay, admittedly that might sound odd, as we are talking about technological advancements that were in no way present during their time. But there’s some truth to it, as social networking has been helping us form communities; communities somehow similar to the ones they experienced when they were young – who’s dating who, what restaurant does one fancy, where does he hang out on Fridays, where has he travelled to, when is his birthday… These are merely some of the basic answers you can get from a person’s public profile; pretty similar to how things used to be, right? It all has the same feel smaller towns used to have, when nothing one did could stay completely private and when everyone would show interest in what others were doing.

But there’s no way of going beyond the numbers: countless children spend more time inside and on Facebook than outside, playing. In the U.S. for instance, reports say that up to 93 percent of all children between the ages of 12 and 17 use the Internet. These children no longer ask for toys for their birthdays, they’d much rather have an iPhone or a tablet so they can share photos and status updates with their friends. And denying them access to such devices and social media networks (as some of you might have already noticed) may not always be an option.
There are specialists that warn against the use of social media; Dr. Laura Schlessinger—a highly popular radio talk show host and a Columbia University Ph.D. graduate in Psychology—warns against the use of social networking, as this might alter the traditional family structure by replacing existing intimate interactions that are naturally formed between the members of a family. Nevertheless, in a normal functioning family, this doesn’t have to be the case.

As long as all the social networking merely adds to the existing interactions (and does not replace it entirely), there’s no need to be concerned. It will just help further develop social skills, as well as complement existing values that have been already been shaped within the family. While mom and dad do know best, they might not always know everything, so a bit of outside help can be of great service. And if you are to make the most out of it, it wouldn’t hurt to monitor the sites your children are using and instruct them how to use them properly, rather than denying them access altogether. Who knows, it might even bring you closer together and add to your common interests

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Rick Gray International

Take a look at this article by Ted Zeff, Ph.D.

http://drtedzeff.com/news/save-your-son-from-the-violent-boy-culture.php

“Once the younger generation learns that love and compassion for all living beings is the most important value every person must imbibe, there will be a veritable leap in consciousness on the planet.” As an involved Dad myself, I am very conscious of how my son is treated and treats others. Develop a loving heart and the trait of empathy in your children. Kids are really good at this, it’s often the adults around them that need to look at and evaluate their own actions and philosophy.

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Tags: business coaching, financial freedom, life coaching, personal development, profts, success