Subject: Fwd: Re: FW: CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPY

Or,

When social networking tools aren’t enough

Readers of this blog already know that we think that simply being a “digital native” is not enough.

It is certainly true that children today are more comfortable with technology than many adults–and certainly than most adults today were when we were kids ourselves.

But it doesn’t follow that therefore adults have nothing to teach kids, to offer kids, or to do to influence how kids use digital media.

I offer as an example an email my young nephew recently sent me, with the subject line:

Fwd: Re: FW: CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPY

What followed was basically what we used to call a “Chain Letter”:

I’m 13 years old, and I wished That my dad would come home from The army, because he’d been having Problems with his heart and right Leg It was 2:53 p .m.. When I made My wish. At 3: 07 PM . (14 minutes Later), the doorbell rang, and There my Dad was, luggage and all!!

I’m Katie and I’m 20 and I’ve been Having trouble in my job and on the Verge of quitting. I made a simple Wish that my boss would get a new Job. That was at 1:35 and at 2:55 There was an announcement that he Was promoted and was leaving for Another city. Believe me…this Really works!!!

Just scroll down to the end, but While you do, think of a wish. Make your wish when you have completed Scrolling. Whatever age you are, is the Number of minutes it will take for your Wish to come true. Ex.you are 25 years Old, it will take 25 minutes for your wish To come true).

However, if you don’t send this to People in 5 minutes, you will have bad Luck for years!! Go for it!!!

I seem to get quite lot of these–and to be fair, I probably get about as many from adults as from kids. They’re reasonably harmless… well, if you ignore the fact that a strange adult got sent 284 email addresses of kids he doesn’t know and their friends because of all the “forwards” in the email chain.

But, more to the point, this is hardly what we hope for when we think of the great things children will do with their “native” technologies.

Which is why we provide epistemic games rather than just tools. We deliberately provide both the technology and the guidance the children need to use it for productive ends. A learning system, rather than simply another opportunity to wander in the media jungle.