I'm a digital native.

I had actually seen the first video that we watched in class before. Surprisingly, I was more upset by the information that was portrayed this time than I was the first time. As a high school graduate in 2007, I felt like I connected quite a bit with some of the people who were interviewed during the video, in particular, Cam Skinner. I am the oldest of four kids, with parents who have always been incredibly supportive and involved in my life. As a high school student, I was able to navigate my way around the internet safely, but my parents had no idea that I had a separate email address than the one they knew about, nor did they know that I was on AIM for every second that I was on the computer (my dad tends to resist technology at every chance he can get... I didn't have texting until I was a freshman in college, and he's still refusing to buy and iPhone). My dad had told me multiple times that "the internet could be very dangerous" so that was why we weren't allowed to have screen names. I took it personally and thought he didn't trust me. So, naturally, I hid that entire part of my life. If I didn't have AIM, then I would have missed out on so much socialization, and information from people in my class. Socialization and information that impacted my high school career. It was definitely frustrating at the time, and I do understand that my parents were trying to look out for me. But, I stand by my thought process at the time. I was, and am fully capable of knowing what is safe on the internet, and what is not. Of course, safety should still be taught to students, but because kids are growing up with it now, I do agree with the video that it has become second nature. There is no need to freak out and interfere with everyone's life like Cam's mom did in the video. I am a digital native, and I think its important that we trust other digital natives (our students) with the internet as well.