John G. Palfrey Jr., Henry N. Ess Professor of Law and vice dean for library and information resources at Harvard University Law School, shared his views with TAS faculty, parents and other attendees eager to better understand the next generation and how digital technologies are changing children's lives.

Palfrey raised the topic of "digital natives," whom he defines as people born after 1980, with access to digital networked technologies, and who possess the skills to use them.

Digital natives read blogs rather than newspapers, meet each other online, get their music online, and are more likely to send an instant message than to pick up the telephone, Palfrey explained among the attributes of this group.

Asked how to parents can communicate with their digital native children, Palfrey told The China Post that the first and most important thing is to build a connection.

"Try to learn (the digital technologies) yourself," he recommended. "No matter how old you are, the technologies are actually not that hard. You don't have to be a computer programmer to be able to use virtually all of the technologies that people are using now."

"The other answer is to ask your kid, a digital native, to be a guide and help you out," added Palfrey. "This may sound difficult to do but it turns out much easier than parents expect."

Palfrey pointed out that when it comes to bridging the digital divide between parents and their children, parents often times either ban the technologies or ignore the issue altogether. "Neither of those is a good response," he noted.

"The main thing is don't just pretend it doesn't happen," he stressed. "Get connected and do something!"

The professor also addressed such issues as online security, privacy, and intellectual property.

"The balance between security and privacy is a constant vigil; the balance between protecting rights holders and promoting recognition is a constant vigil," Palfrey said. "These are things that are never done. It's matter of trying to find an optimal point between some competing interests."

"For Taiwan, what I would urge is a balance between ... establishing and protecting the legitimate rights of creators ... with the important need to let other people use intellectual property to do more innovation," he noted.

Other topics Palfrey touched upon during his presentation were online credibility and information overload in the age of the Internet.

He said that while the issues he mentioned often raise concerns, the flip side is that they also bring opportunities such as improving media literacy skills, allowing self expression and creativity, empowering individuals and creators, increasing access to and sharing of information, and maintaining connections.

Palfrey is also the faculty director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University and chairs the Internet Safety Technical Task Force. His most recent book is "Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives," a practical guide which explores a broad range of issues such as online identity, privacy and safety, as well as the Internet's impact on creativity and learning.