Digital foster children - exploring the generation who was raised online

For most people the internet and the further globalization of the world as a whole is a pretty recent thing, they have most likely known a life before the digital connectivity that we all rely on today. But what about the people who don’t know of such a life, the ones who saw the internet as a second or third parent. There seems to be a whole generation of kids who were raised online, and while it has its drawbacks, I rarely see people talk about its benefits

I think the obvious thing that people first point to when talking about the impacts of the digital age is the fact that most people spend time on the internet that they could be spending outside and socializing. I don’t deny that spending time learning how to socialize is important, however I’d argue that the outside world can be harsh. Most children get introduced to and have access to the internet as young as kindergarten and as old as middle school, and at that age kids can be quite judgmental about the people around them and if you happen to be interested in something that is not a commonly shared interest by the people around you, it can be hard to meet new people, or if you are just generally socially awkward. That is where I think the internet can be a beneficial friend and cater to what you are personally interested in and finding a community centered around a niche topic you like, in addition to combating social awkwardness. 

For example, fashion has been a hobby of mine for about 5 years. Within those 5 years I've seen an extraordinary amount of growth and surge in confidence, thanks to the internet. Fashion is a hobby in particular that takes a lot of experimentation with cuts, materials, and overall look to find the thing that you like, because of that, people tend to notice you a lot more, because of your rejection of the style norm of the people around you. I remember hearing an array of rude remarks that I can’t repeat, pertaining to the way that I dress, remarks that made me question if expressing myself openly was the right move. I’d say that the internet, and the ability to research the history and broadness of fashion helped me to become more confident in wearing outfits that really excited me.

While my experience has been generally positive, I don't wish to turn a blind eye to the people who have been permanently damaged by people on the internet, and I understand that avoiding mean people on the internet is difficult. For some people, being raised on the internet has been a curse as much as it has been a blessing. 

There are exceptions to this notion however. One of the most confident people that I know grew up in discord chat rooms getting insulted for even speaking. He would get insulted on things he didn't even notice about himself, everything from his tone of voice to his appearance. So he did the only logical thing in an arena where words held so much value, he became a master at wielding them. To this day, I don’t think I've ever seen a person be so quick on their feet when it comes to roasting someone else, and if anyone ever tries to return the joust, he simply brushes it off like it was nothing. The harsh environment that he grew up around made him develop a strong sense of confidence at a young age, and arguably a sense of confidence that most adults can’t replicate. 

The internet is an amazing tool for finding things that interest you or that you want to learn more about, but it's hard to control what you are indirectly exposed to online, but the power to control your reply to that exposure is something that you will always have jurisdiction over.