MySpace
Monday 3rd July, 2006 09:24 Comments: 1
I was reading an article about MySpace and I couldn\'t help but agree with the sentiment.
This astonished me. Here I was, only 23 and childless, and I was telling adults how to parent their teen! At that point I realized the awful truth: lots of people just don\'t know how to raise their kids.
The same situation holds true for MySpace. The company can hire all the security officers it wants, and it could replace every ad with a flashing banner that says "DO NOT TRUST RANDOM STRANGERS!!!", and send fliers to every parent in America ... and bad things would still happen to kids connected to MySpace. A lot of parents aren\'t very good at parenting, and part of being a teenager is saying and doing stupid things (I\'m example number one for that particular precept), trying to socialize as much as possible, and worrying at the same time about your hair and your weight and your zits and your clothes.
We can sure try to educate kids and parents and schools about MySpace, but I\'m just not certain how effective we\'re ever going to be. That doesn\'t mean we shouldn\'t try, but it also means that we can\'t expect perfect success. Any time you allow humans to come into contact with each other, there's the potential for exploitation. That doesn\'t mean disaster is guaranteed, however. It just means that we need to try to keep a cool head and not allow blind emotion and fear to cloud our better judgments.
This astonished me. Here I was, only 23 and childless, and I was telling adults how to parent their teen! At that point I realized the awful truth: lots of people just don\'t know how to raise their kids.
The same situation holds true for MySpace. The company can hire all the security officers it wants, and it could replace every ad with a flashing banner that says "DO NOT TRUST RANDOM STRANGERS!!!", and send fliers to every parent in America ... and bad things would still happen to kids connected to MySpace. A lot of parents aren\'t very good at parenting, and part of being a teenager is saying and doing stupid things (I\'m example number one for that particular precept), trying to socialize as much as possible, and worrying at the same time about your hair and your weight and your zits and your clothes.
We can sure try to educate kids and parents and schools about MySpace, but I\'m just not certain how effective we\'re ever going to be. That doesn\'t mean we shouldn\'t try, but it also means that we can\'t expect perfect success. Any time you allow humans to come into contact with each other, there's the potential for exploitation. That doesn\'t mean disaster is guaranteed, however. It just means that we need to try to keep a cool head and not allow blind emotion and fear to cloud our better judgments.
Robert - Monday 3rd July, 2006 10:05 I read a comment someone had left at The Register regarding the $30m lawsuit against MySpace.com after a 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by someone she met through the site. Sure, it's a terrible thing to have happened, but the cynic inside of me thinks that you can't blame one single factor. Anyway, the original article gave a quote: "MySpace is more concerned about making money than protecting children online". The cheeky letter said: "Responsible parenting issues aside, no doubt the mother will be donating her hard-won $30m (if she gets it) to some children's protection charity in it's entirety as she is more concerned about protecting children than making money". Hehe.
Hmm, I wonder if the dollar signs will get through the comment system okay, I have a feeling hey won't.
Hmm, I wonder if the dollar signs will get through the comment system okay, I have a feeling hey won't.