M goes viral

Not too long ago a request was put out by an astronomer setting up a new website for questions from kids about astronomy. With a little cajoling, I was able to get M in front of the webcam with a question. Here she is as feature on SkyGuy.




It's odd to really think about how different things are for them as children now than they were for me. The mere fact that we have a computer with a camera connected to an infinite web within which we spend a lot of time functioning is astounding. But it's fun to see the kids interacting online in safe communities and learning about social media and the skills and decorum needed to function within its realm. Right now, putting them out there feels like a really good way to help them to build their own navigation skills and understandings of the connectivity which exists. The truth is that these kids will spend more time virtually interacting with others than anyone could have ever imagined and it's important that they learn the skills for these interactions from us than from others. Weird knew lifeskill that we have to teach as parents. But this picture shows the reality.