[photo source: GenerationM]



When I was younger, we were called the Gen Xer's. We used to be cool.

Now, most of us are moms and dads in our suits, toting our laptops while holding our kids' hands... parenting kids who belong to the media-saturated generation... the Generation M.

Multi-tasking, tech-savvy kids who seems to have been born with all the user manuals saved in their young brains. Some adults can only look in awe.

"If you've wondered how your teenager can "do homework" while talking on the phone, instant messaging and watching TV all at the same time -- you're not alone. Lots of parents and stepparents are asking how to handle a generation that is media-saturated.

A new study of 8-18 year olds by the Kaiser Foundation portrays "Generation M" as always wired to media. Four hours a day are spent with television and nearly 2 hours with music. Nearly seventy per cent of all kids have a television in their bedroom and thirty-one per cent have a computer. Today's youth are efficient multi-taskers -- cramming 8 � hours of media exposure into only 6 � hours."

Click here to read the complete Kaiser Family Foundation Study. This should explain a lot of things to help us guide and understand our kids better.

Thing is, media saturation could both become a disaster or a success. Media can offer vast opportunities for learning inasmuch as it could distract children from learning. It is up to us, parents. Our kids' exposure can be controlled based on their age, their progress in school, their social skills and our own values and belief. Like in everything, moderation is the key.