It is their belief that we cannot treat 21st century problems like "sexting" or "cyber bullying" with 20th century solutions and reactive "old school" threats, reprimand and curriculum.
1: Can you honestly say that you have never been irresponsible either as a kid touching a hot stove, or smoking (underage), or drinking underage, or trying drugs?
2: Did you always listen to your parents, teachers or caretakers when they told you not to do these things and offered you a ton of information about why you shouldn't?
3: Have you ever been irresponsible or break the law as an adult (e.g. speeding, running a red light)?
4: Have you ever posted your status on Facebook as "On Vacation", "Traveling" or "Out"?
Growing up we received lessons or messages from caretakers, law enforcement and society in general about (offline) crime and irresponsibility which the Institute calls “Responsibility 1.0”. Unfortunately however, the reprimands and consequences for breaking these offline rules or being irresponsible cannot be utilized for digital or 21st century issues.
Why?
Well if you answered “NO” to any of the questions above (even # 4), your life may have been over at a very young age (or it could be altered soon) as is the case for many people of today’s digital generation, because it only takes a few seconds of irresponsibility online to ruin your life.
For Example: Lighting up a cigarette, or trying a beer at the age of 17 most of the time, will not instantly alter your life, or affect your loved one's lives, or the life or someone halfway around the globe. However, as we have read lately, in the time it takes a 17 year old to press the send button on a cell phone with a naked picture attached (less time to finish a drag of a cigarette or sip of beer) he/she could be placed in jail and registered as a sex offender.
Simply saying, “don’t do that” to a kid or flooding them with "tip sheets" and facts did not work when you were one, so why would it work now? The real difference and alarming issue is that the digital technologies available to our youth deliver instant consequences that can alter their life. Fortunately, it appears that the Institute's concept of Responsibility 2.1C may just be the way to reach this new generation.
Richard Guerry, the visionary behind the concept of "Responsibility 2.1C" and co-founder of The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication recently stated that "We as a nation need to provide direct proactive communication of Digital Responsibility (Responsibility 2.1C) to a new generation. We cannot be reactionary treating today's digital issues, and we cannot resolve them with 20th century threats, reprimand and curriculum."
What makes The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication's concept unique to any other program or message on the planet is their approach and how they directly communicate, not reactively educate their concept to a new generation.
To learn more about The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication, to contact their Speakers Bureau for an event, or to assist their efforts by becoming a supporter, sponsor, or to make a donation, please visit them on the web at www.iroc2.org or www.sextingisstupid.com.
