I think the information age has made everything easier. It's hard to even imagine now not being able to know the answer to something. Google has virtually eliminated "I don't know" from my life. You don't have to hope you know someone who knows someone who knows the answer. If static print and television news and entertainment fails to address what you want to know, you can still find it. (I've heard this is a double-edged sword for parents of older children as the technology brings new challenges, but since I don't have older kids, I haven't had to face it yet.)

Internet based technology has also eliminated the gap that used to exist which made it hard for far-off family to feel connected to the young ones. Everyone I know has access to a digital camera if not a digital video camera. Sending pics and emails to our relatives 900 miles away no longer means paying to get film developed and make extra copies to send in the mail.

When I grew up, my parents had 1 set of encyclopedias which were purchased before I was even born. If I couldn't get a ride to the library, all research I did up until about 8th grade came from this one aging encyclopedia set. Our kids will not be restricted to this.

That said, I don't see any difference in the fundamentals of parenting. The physical, mental, and emotional development of young kids seem to require the same thing of parents as always. New parents have trouble getting sleep. Stay at home moms have to make an effort to not turn into recluses. And there always seems to be one more expense I didn't budget for.

I think one of the things that I have been most astounded with, as a parent, is that fact that I can reason logically with my child.
I love not having to beat about the bush, so to speak. I like being able to admit that I was wrong about something, not just because I am setting an example but also because its such a human thing to do. I just get the sense that my daughter is grasping things much earlier than I was able to, and in the long run I think that that is really a good thing.

The information age makes things easier but also demands that we keep up with the pace... my goal is to find a plateau in the midst of all this, where I feel most comfortable and not where society or other external factors say I should be.

So I think, I can comfortably say that today, more of us are becoming more conscientious as parents, as compared to older generations. As I see it the job of parenting remains the same, regardless of other factors, but it is our own free will, that motivates us into wanting to bring up our children as best we can.