Earlier this week I watched a screener sent over by MTV for an upcoming episode of "True Life." Part of the channel's ongoing A Thin Line initiative (see my interview with Jason Rzepka for more details), the show took on the issue of "digital drama" focusing on two young couples whose relationships were negatively affected by technology.

What struck me as I watched Nicole and George arguing over suspicious Facebook wall posts, and Susie begging Devin to pay more attention to her and less to his phone, wasn't so much the drama component as the way these new platforms amplified preexisting issues of trust and priorities. The digital difference is the new levels of access and constant connectedness. For instance, exposure to a flirtatious post that appears on your girlfriend's Facebook wall. Or, struggling with a boyfriend who seems more concerned with checking emails and texts than engaging in dinner conversation. Just as Anastasia points out with online reputations, there's no going back. These are aspects of the new reality of managing relationships, romantic and otherwise, and to some degree we all have to deal accordingly. For young people who are simultaneously dealing with everything else that comes with growing up, these situations can become considerably more complicated and emotional.

Of course, this is why MTV and their array of nonprofit partners are launching A Thin Line and other similar initiatives around these issues. For teens and young adults to make more educated decisions about their online and mobile activity. Not just when it comes to the more extreme, headline-grabbing acts like "sexting" or "cyberbullying," but also in these everyday scenarios that crop up in the course of first loves and friendships forged during these formative years. Along with the timeless truths of establishing trust and communicating openly, these couples on "True Life" demonstrate (albeit in typically over-dramatized MTV fashion) the importance of practicing self-restraint and setting limits. Occasionally checking up on your significant other's FB page? Fine. Torturing yourself and him or her by constantly refreshing and harassing them over private messages and texts? Um, not quite the sign of a healthy relationship (and possibly time to send one of these clever but direct "That's Not Cool" call out cards). Same goes for answering the occasional urgent message vs. making sure the person you're with feels more important than that small buzzing device in your pocket (side note: an important lesson to learn for all social interactions). As Jason pointed out in our interview, this is the first generation to not only face navigating the uncharted territory of social network/mobile etiquette, but all while grappling with the typical ups and downs of adolescence. More power to brands and orgs that try to help them out.

Categorized under: Web

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