Do I have kids? Not of my own. I have nieces and nes. My 10 year old ne, whose father died a few years back and lives at the house, I’ve had to act as a daily mentor for, confidant in a house of women and, without parental responsibilities over him, he could treat me like a Big Equal. When his art teacher in 3rd grade told him his owl was drawn “wrong” and that “he wasn’t trying hard enough”, my heart broke because the same thing happened to me, 34 years ago in the 3rd grade. He didn’t draw for a year. I encouraged him gently here and there, giving suggestions and such, and thankfully, due to whatever happens socially to kids in the 4th grade, the stronghold of Teacher Opinion broke in him and he began to draw again until just a few weeks ago, he attempted the owl again.
On Vine, where people make 6 second looping videos, I’ve made over 10,000 of them over the past year and a half. I use it as an outlet for whatever I’m researching or thinking about at the time, or my goofy stupid humor. Whatever I can fit in those six seconds.
Well, even though it’s supposedly an 17+ group, I got kid followers. A lot of them. Infiltrated, as kids do online, networks not meant for them. And they changed its character for the better. Out of 8800 followers, about half of them are under 18 years old, and a large segment of THEM are in the 8-14 bracket.
They comment on my stuff daily, ask me to give my thoughts on their vines and I do. I keep everything public of course, I’m in no official position of authority but _someone’s_ got to make sure these kids are ok. Parents leave them to their devices and these kids are getting bullied, tormented, discouraged, and I’m a friendly face from “the further side” of adulthood – from the otherside of the imaginary fence who says, “great job!” “Keep up the good work!” “You can delete comments you don’t like off your profile” “You’re strong and courageous and can do anything you set your mind to”.
Stuff like that. So no, I don’t have kids of my own. But as I don’t discriminate, I treat a 8 yr old kid who’s into 5 nights at freddy’s and made a montage on his phone and wants my opinion with the same respect as a visual artist who is my age and makes marvelous stop-motion art of the planets moving around at night…
I write “lol” at their jokes. When they say “school sucks”, I agree and encourage them to get through it as best they can, and remind them about the structure of the school system itself and that they DO have SOME choices.
I occasionally do “ManRules” when I think of it; life tips that they might get were I a boy scout leader or Uncle. I guess I see myself as an archetype of the Curiousity Shoppe owner from fiction; or mad scientist;or the slightly odd neighbor that’s a little off center but entirely safe.
I’m also VERY grateful when one of their parents subscribes to me. I wish more parents would get involved in their kids online activities but, I can’t control anybody. I wouldn’t want to. I just want people to be safe and creative, whoever they are.
Mind you, this is a hobby, a side thing I do 6 seconds at a time, here and there throughout the day. Maybe 10 minutes responding to public comments… a few minutes clicking, “like like like” on someone’s posts who wants a little attention.
But with that minimal effort, I know what it does. It counteracts their OWN experiences with their own art teachers, who criticized their creativity. It counteracts at some level, some meangirls in their classes, or an abusive sibling who calls them stupid all of the time.
Now, the majority of my subscribers, who are of adult age, I do the same for them, liking their things, ‘lol’ at their humor (even if I think it’s stupid, that doesn’t matter; I’m more impressed by the creative thought that went into it), and giving them encouragement when they’re having marital problems. or whatnot…
I don’t see 8800 followers. I see 8800 friends. That’s a lot of people and they’re as real as I am here and you are there.
My point after this long post? I don’t have kids that I parented. I have a 10 yr old ne in house here I see daily and 4000+ kids (thankfully NOT all at once, but in waves) whose opinions I hear and see on a daily basis for the past year and a half.
Unorthodox? Yes. But I feel I have _some_ understanding of problems, not only from my own 43 year old perspective, but somewhat from perspectives of ages across the board, from 8-80.
They all want the same thing. “Just notice me.”
NOTE:
| DDC | Confidence |
|---|---|
| 720: Architecture | 0.37 |
| 120: Epistemology, causation & humankind | 0.33 |
| 360: Social problems & services; associations | 0.20 |
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