FRONTLINE Digital Nation | BlogHer | Lenore Skenazy Interview

FRONTLINE's "Digital Nation" travels to BlogHer '09 to ask participants how technology impacts their lives. Here Lenore Skenazy of FreeRangeKids.com shares her story. Be a part of "Digital Nation" and tell us your story at http://www.pbs.org/frontline/digitalnation/participate/.

"Digital Nation" is a year-long multiplatform initiative exploring how the Web and digital media are changing the way we think, work, learn and interact. The project will unfold through a series of online video reports and user-submitted stories and springboard to a national television broadcast to air in winter 2010.

FRONTLINE is produced by WGBH Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Park Foundation. "Digital Nation" is brought to you by the Verizon Foundation.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• dig_nat
• pbs
• frontline
• digital nation
• blogher
• Lenore Skenazy
• Free Range Kids
• documentary
• documentaries

[glowingdarkmatter25]

Bring the cell, but turn it off or least so you can't hear it ring. Decrease the dependency on that thing. My family and friends know already that I don't pick up the phone in the car. So, it may be on, but it's not.

[ExNihiloJimmy]

brilliant woman

[publicenemy1010]

theres no black and white answer with this topic it's all circumstancial for sure

[friendlymaendi]

The cell phone is one thing, driving kids to school the other. Creating opportunities for kids to learn to be responsible for themselves is the more important task of parenting than preventing them from all possible mishaps.

[theInvigorate]

@ParadeOf91 what she is saying is not reckless. I got my first cellphone at eighteen, throughout all those years I didn't have a cellphone, I made some of the decisions about what I did myself, if something was complex, I waited until I talked to parents to make a decision on it. wen i was older and started making even more complex decisions and being out a lot, I got a cellphone to keep in touch. that is what I call parenting, ensuring kids grow up to make a good decision independently.

[ParadeOf91]

@rhettintaipei - There's a difference between letting your children experience independence and being a completely reckless, stupid parent.

Lenore is reckless and stupid.

[rhettintaipei]

the Chomsky of child rearing!! Nice

[rhettintaipei]

Lenore, you hit it on the head!! Bravo, I love you:)

[rhettintaipei]

The teathered generation. 17 in a car is one thing, however here in Taiwan there is a cell phone ad where a younng mother is screaming "my baby boy, my baby boy!! has anybody seen my baby boy??? Luckily the boy (aged 6 or 7) has his whatever brand cellphone it is and answers "Mama?" and all is good. Somehow humans have been able to keep track of there kids pretty darn well for the last few milennia with out being digitally connected.

[getplaning]

Wait until your kid is 17 and out in the car.

That cell phone will be an important tool.