Internet Communication as a Springboard for Establishing High-Quality Communication among Teenagers: Opportunity vs. Risk

Volume 12 Issue 2 August - October 2018

Research Paper

Internet Communication as a Springboard for Establishing High-Quality Communication among Teenagers: Opportunity vs. Risk

Gila Cohen Zilka*

Director, Department for Teaching Social Studies and Communication, Bar-Ilan University, Head of the Program for Training Tutors and Mentors, Achva Academic College, Israel.

Zilka, G. C. (2018). Internet Communication as a Springboard for Establishing High-Quality Communication among Teenagers: Opportunity vs. Risk. i-manager’s Journal on Educational Psychology, 12(2), 17-25. https://doi.org/10.26634/jpsy.12.2.14245

Abstract

The social networks present a dual potential: on one hand, the possibility of bringing about better interpersonal communication than in the past, and on the other, its deterioration so that it ends up in a bad place. The study is a narrative-qualitative study. The study was conducted in high school among 45 Israeli adolescents, aged 14-17. The study presents the complex in the social networking age, through the story of teenagers. Numerous studies have shown that many children block channels of communication and collaboration with their parents and other adults, and at the same time they blur the boundaries between privacy and sharing with other children in matters that cause harm to themselves and others. In many conversations with children of different ages, they talk about events that had affected them, but did not mention any adult figure they approached: no parent, or teacher, or mentor. Efforts should be made to resolve the issue of shaming among teenagers, and to explain the importance of preserving human dignity and privacy. The combination of positive communication, and acceptance can lead to the empowerment of children and teenagers, and to the consolidation of clear ethical rules, principles, and boundaries for high-quality interpersonal communication.