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Won't Someone Think of the Children?
11/3/05
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Thursday, November 3, 2005
5:47:00 PM EST
Hearing Death Cab for Cutie (with Mike Doughty), Hungry Like the Wolf
So here's a shocking fact:
Being a content creator is a relatively dry term that includes posting photos, music or video, making Web pages, and of course, writing blogs.
As with any new-fangled technology, the young types have latched on in a big way: 19% of teens (12-17) have created a blog, compared to just 7% of adults.
So what are these teens doing with their blogs?
According to some recent attention in the media (including a few overheated accounts) they're engaging in risky business (embedded video) -- detailing their sexual exploits ("My kid would never do that!"), talking trash, drinking, drugging, thugging and in general, revealing way too much personal information.
With much wailing and gnashing of teeth, adults are seen crying out: "But what do we do?"
Sure, some of it may be overprotective parenting, but there is a very real threat of sexual predators and pedophiles.
In one famous recent overreaction, a Catholic high school in Sparta, N.J. decided to ban blogging outright -- not just on-campus and during school hours, but totally, on threat of suspension.
As I said in my earlier writeup on the blogging ban: If you know any teens, I'm sure you'll guess how effective this ban is going to be.
Like it or not, blogs & social sites, including MySpace, Facebook and others, are integral part of their lives, and they're having a big influence on the rest of society.
Wired has a feature story right now about MySpace's influence on launching bands, even to the point where MySpace is starting its own record label.
This is not to say that people: parents, politicans, policymakers -- you know, The Man -- won't try to regulate teen blogging. And why wouldn't they?
They're trying to regulate political blogging, by declining to exempt blogs from Federal Election Commission oversight.
Companies are trying to defend against perceived attacks from "digital lynch mobs."
China has just reportedly shut down a pro-democracy blog.
However, all is not lost.
The Internet in general, and blogs as a specific part of it, is a disruptive technology. When you introduce a disruptive technology, things change -- a lot. People, companies, and governments experience pain as they try to adapt. Not everyone can make the adjustment (like in the classic buggy whips example).
As we're discovering, the Internet and blogs are just way too darn useful to ban, because they're just too good at bringing people together in a meaningful way.
Of course, I would be lying if I told you how it was all going to turn out. So I'm going to stop now. But I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks -- Joe
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5:47:00 PM EST
Hearing Death Cab for Cutie (with Mike Doughty), Hungry Like the Wolf
Won't Someone Think of the Children?
Teens Like Blogs
A new survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds that more than half of all teens online have created content for the Internet. (Check out the survey [PDF file])Being a content creator is a relatively dry term that includes posting photos, music or video, making Web pages, and of course, writing blogs.
As with any new-fangled technology, the young types have latched on in a big way: 19% of teens (12-17) have created a blog, compared to just 7% of adults.
So what are these teens doing with their blogs?
According to some recent attention in the media (including a few overheated accounts) they're engaging in risky business (embedded video) -- detailing their sexual exploits ("My kid would never do that!"), talking trash, drinking, drugging, thugging and in general, revealing way too much personal information.
With much wailing and gnashing of teeth, adults are seen crying out: "But what do we do?"
Sure, some of it may be overprotective parenting, but there is a very real threat of sexual predators and pedophiles.
In one famous recent overreaction, a Catholic high school in Sparta, N.J. decided to ban blogging outright -- not just on-campus and during school hours, but totally, on threat of suspension.
As I said in my earlier writeup on the blogging ban: If you know any teens, I'm sure you'll guess how effective this ban is going to be.
Like it or not, blogs & social sites, including MySpace, Facebook and others, are integral part of their lives, and they're having a big influence on the rest of society.
Wired has a feature story right now about MySpace's influence on launching bands, even to the point where MySpace is starting its own record label.
This is not to say that people: parents, politicans, policymakers -- you know, The Man -- won't try to regulate teen blogging. And why wouldn't they?
They're trying to regulate political blogging, by declining to exempt blogs from Federal Election Commission oversight.
Companies are trying to defend against perceived attacks from "digital lynch mobs."
China has just reportedly shut down a pro-democracy blog.
However, all is not lost.
The Internet in general, and blogs as a specific part of it, is a disruptive technology. When you introduce a disruptive technology, things change -- a lot. People, companies, and governments experience pain as they try to adapt. Not everyone can make the adjustment (like in the classic buggy whips example).
As we're discovering, the Internet and blogs are just way too darn useful to ban, because they're just too good at bringing people together in a meaningful way.
Of course, I would be lying if I told you how it was all going to turn out. So I'm going to stop now. But I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks -- Joe
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This entry has 75 comments: (Add your own)
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okay, i totally dont agree with your latest blog entry! Teens are like everyone else and should have the right to express themselves as much as any adult.
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okay, i totally dont agree with your latest blog entry! Teens are like everyone else and should have the right to express themselves as much as any adult.
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A little $$ our government spends now- can save us a lot spent later... EXAMPLE: extend day/ after school hours- so kids don't go home alone. summers program in the school systems to keep kids off the streets, more child care vouchers- so parents can work, better food programs and free school breakfasts & parent education workshops VS: drug rehabilitation & prison costs for those lost teens that we had not helped when then needed it, when they were young and reachable...
We need 100% better sex education. It needs to be started in younger grades. It should address teen pregnancy prevention and abortion issues.
I'm not for abortion - I am for the age-appropriate sex education to prevent pregnancy & STD's, to teach what choices available. Abstinence as a prevention method for sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy- yet is unrealistic for most teens.
Why is child development/parenting 101 not a high school course?
The children we don't help now - we may
pay for later in prison cost down the line.
Just my take, what is yours?
Cheryl
http://journals.aol.com/cste609371/writingsshortstoriesbySt ewart/ -
i like blogs! I think that any one who wants them should have them if they want to
8/25/07 10:40 AM
Feeling Ecstatic
Hearing Finley Quaye My goal is to help people
My son came into my life two years ago and since that time I have found many scary, alarming, and awakening facts about cleaning products and personal care products that everybody has in their homes. So by educating myself my family and I have made a switch to healthier, safer, environmentaly friendly cleaning and personal care products. Children are at risk all over the world, there is no regulation on what is going into cleaning and personal care products, many of them contain, pesticides, formaldehyde, phosphates, ammonia, chlorine bleach, abrasives, aerosol propellants, and other harsh ingredients. And none of this information is clearly explained to the consumer. If anybody who is reading this is ready to make a change in their life, a change to better their family, please feel free to e mail me at jsurfh2oey@aol.com . I will be glad to help you.
Tags: health, moms, children, family, wellness, green, improvement, fitness, cleaning, change
Written by jsurfh2oey Permalink | Blog about this entry | Add to del.icio.us | digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own