Resistance is Futile

Question: What fundamental principle is the Internet built on and how has this generation used it to it’s advantage?

I am a Star Trek nerd. So is my husband. I blame my father.
While reviewing  Living and Learning with New Media Report , particularly the section titled, "Hanging Out", all I could think about was the Borg's philosophy of "Resistance is futile".
It seems the older generations are so against technology they make the, perhaps unconscious, decision to fear or doubt it. It isn't difficult to recognize this as fear of the unknown. Parents and teachers want to say the internet is bad, and kids are sneaky. But the truth is, everything is in balance. Do bad things happen on the internet? Sure. But just because the nature of relationships is changing to one that is based in technology doesn't mean they are bad. Just different. 
You can have your doubts, but do the research. This "white paper" (a foreign phrase to me used by this source) points out that young people aren't lacking in social skills. Rather they use technology to engage in these ways. It may "protect" them from awkward first date experiences or awkward conversations in person some times, but to be honest, many online conversations are just as awkward as they are in person. Full of "umms" and "...". Emojis have taken the place of the face to face expressions but still relay an emotional message and can be misinterpreted just as easily.
Young people aren't using the internet to meet strangers. They are using it to connect with their friends. 
If you stop resisting, you might find a way to connect with your kids, and even our students.
My Dad and I play video games together from the comfort of our own couches along with a couple buddies from the East Coast. It is some of my favorite moments with him. Time I would have otherwise spent watching TV.
I resisted Fortnite. I find it obnoxious. But my kids have used it as an opportunity to spend time with their cousin, Lydia. Time they would not otherwise have together. She and my son, Leo, are best friends, in part, to the time they spend "hanging out" online. They have her on speaker phone and they play cooperatively, taking turns to play with and against each other. 
My kids weren't afraid to switch schools this year because they new they could text, Instagram, and play online often enough to never skip a beat in friendships they had build since they were infants and toddlers.
I've only recently accepted technology as a parent. We've not even begun to really use technology in our classrooms, let along accept that it's not going away. But the Borg were right. "Resistance is futile." It's time to just dive in.
"...to explore strange new worlds...and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before."

Reference
 Living and Learning with New Media Report