My 9 Year Old is Digitally Distinct. Are You?

My daughter is nine years old. She owns her own domain, rocks her Google Rank and we track her online identity with Google Alerts.

She has a blog called Raising Tarah that she lets me share with her. Her page is the front page because she writes much more than I do. One of her posts inspired a highly respected leadership blogger Mary Jo Asmus to write Leadership Lessons From Children. 

She is working on her writing, "if you want your posts to be linked to, you have to write more details," sharing her space with guest authors, and is not afraid to share her feeling about others. She experiments with video, T-Rex Tango, and she shares her creative side via The Artist Within.

She knows that if one source says something she doesn't think is right she looks further. Just because something is in writing doesn't make it true and if you write something bad about someone you can hurt their feelings.

She is not online without our permission, she does not have a Facebook page or a Twitter account and is just beginning to e-mail. Her texting is limited to family members.

My daughter is interested and she is engaged.  Are you?

Cross posted on Raising Tarah

Comments

[Andrea Ballard]

How neat to see posts like "My Amazing Friends and An Apology" in the midst of all we hear about school-age children and online cyber-bullying. Lisa, I think you are doing a great job raising a pretty neat (and digitally distinct) kid! Thanks for sharing with us.

[John Hunter]

Great job. Her blog is great. She is learning valuable skills. Who knows what form blogs will have 10 years from now but being engaged in writing, learning and creating a unique space is wonderful. I own domains for both of my nephews that are ready for them once their parents say they are ready. This type of hands on learning, exploration and joy in creation is great for anyone 9, 19, 29 or 79.

[Lisa Rosendahl]

Andrea, I am not looking forward to the middle school and high school years but hope that we give her enough confidence to think for herself.

John, isn't it great how she is learning and doesn't even realize it!

[Benjamin McCall]

This is great Lis
The fact that she is engaged is great. I believe the greatest thing you are teaching her is responsibility. People are afraid of being on line for the dangers they do not see. More parent should take your lead!

http://ReThinkHR.org
@BenjaminMcCall