My Space: Fix of the Week
I get the Hartford Courant, but I don't always read it. I never read the comics, and I never read "Ask Amy". But I did today.
Mom should end daughter's Web site access
By Amy Dickinson
Tribune Media Services
Dear Amy: Although I have been aware of myspace.com, I didn't realize the harmful nature of the Web site until I received an anonymous copy of my 16-year-old daughter's myspace page. She thought it was "just fun and games" when she posted provocative pictures on her home page. I was shocked when I read her Web space, which was tame by comparison to many other kids from our community who have posted lewd and lascivious pictures with profane comments for the world to see!
I will be monitoring my daughter's activity if not deleting it altogether, but what about all of the parents who are unaware of this Web site?
What has our culture degenerated to when photos of girls drinking from tequila bottles, imitating sexual acts, and wearing bras and garter belts in the midst of other boys are posted online for anyone to see?
No wonder we are so concerned about predators. Our children are making themselves targets for anyone to exploit. They might as well be wearing a bull's-eye.
- Saddened by Complacency
Dear Saddened: Our kids have been taught since they were little about the dangers of posting personal information on the Web. They've also been taught about the dangers of driving recklessly. And yet, teens continue to crash their cars at alarming rates. And they also stupidly use the Web as if it is one big slumber party with their friends.
It's a question of cognition.
You are right to monitor your daughter's computer use. However, why she still has a myspace account at all baffles me. The site is intended for people 17 and over. I realize that this rule can be ignored, but if your daughter is demonstrating such poor online judgment, then it's time to take the "car keys" away until she figures out that those provocative photos she is sharing with the universe could affect not only her life now but haunt her well into the future.
I don't have to provide you with nightmare scenarios - just open the newspaper and pick and choose among horror stories about images of young people posted on the Web that end up being bought, sold and traded on porn sites. You need to talk to your girl not just about these dangers but about the more basic idea that her body belongs to her alone. You should then take the lessons you've learned to your community of parents - through the school's PTA.
posted by Mr. Mac | 7:41 PM
2 Comments:
People can say that it's their parents fault for not teaching this girl wrong from right, but this parent seems deeply concerned. She can not imagine how HER daughter would do this. I think it's all about teenage girls trying to be older then they are. They are trying to get a boy's attention in the wrong ways. I think some girls just know that putting pictures of themselves up will grow attention to themselves, and maybe thats just what they want, attention. But then again some girls don't feel they want THAT type of attention which they are obv, the cool ones. DUH.
-Michaelene
Most of these "horror stories" are because the girls aren't thinking. How can you possibly think it's ok to start talking to someone you don't know and then meet up...? And most of the girls who post pics like that are just searching for compliments and attention...they want all the guys to call them hot or sexy or something...it's when they're stupid about it and go meeting people when it because a big problem
bets
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