Ees Not My Job, Man! . . . or is it?

When I was a younger man, I used to delight in watching Freddie Prinze perform. In just about every routine, we could count on an incredible story being told, with the punch line (spoken in an exaggerated Hispanic accent) ''Ees not my job,man!”

In his stories, Freddie’s refrain was perfect.

Today, the connected way (love it or hate it) that our kids are connected and exposed via technology is causing many to raise the question of their safety . . . and whose job is it to help them to be safe(r)?

In my science class this year, we like to try to encapsulate general concepts with a “Mother Nature’s Rule”. This year, one that has emerged is “Plus ça changes, plus ça même choses.”

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Recently here at ISB, Michael Thompson, a well known psychologist who specializes in adolescence, spoke to our kids (and parent groups) about issues facing them - including friendships and bullying. I have known Michael for a few years, but was a bit surprised when I brought up the story of a Massachusetts girl who committed suicide after some relentless cyber-bullying for Michael’s reaction was a bit different (at first) that I expected.

Essentially he said that kids are kids. When we were kids, kids were kids. When our parents were kids, kids were kids. Kids will be kids.

Kids being kids is old. The vehicles they use may be new.

Maybe that's why it's hard for us.

In his post "Times Change . . . Do We?" Michael Smith humorously points out some of the differences between the day to day realities the kids we operate in compared to where we come from in. How about to kids today, " Tattoos have always been very chic and highly visible." The trappings of society sure seem to change.

But adolescent issues like friends and bullying is not new. Today, cyber-bullying is a problem . . . one that needs to be dealt with.

One way to deal with cyber-bullying is to “ban the vehicle (social networks) ”, like Ridgewood, NJ Principal Anthony Orsini promotes because “the sites do more harm than good -- facilitating bullying and putting kids at risk to online predators.” (View attached ABC story .)

Is this the answer? If not, what do we do?

Whose job is it anyway?

While revolution of technology has advanced into the third millennia, the evolution of humans may be lagging a few years back.

So let’s go back to the good old days . . . when we grew up in neighborhoods, and all the segments of the community (seemed) to work together for the good of “the youth”.

A saying from the ‘60s has rolled around my head now for years . . . and I found it attributed to the black activist Eldridge Cleaver. . . . “You're either part of the solution or you're part of the problem.”

It’s all our jobs – not just the families raising their children, not just the schools teaching their students . . . . it takes a community caring for its kids, perhaps working in new ways and confronting new details (even if it’s new territory).

But hey, that’s what parenting and teaching is all about, anyway.

And what’s better than a healthy dialogue with our kids?

Together, let’s get at it.

I think Freddie would agree.