If you've been paying any attention, you've undoubtedly noticed the media blitz about MySpace, child pornography, pedophilia, etc. Every few days, there's another special about nabbing internet predators or some kid who got involved with making child pornography and got out or some kid who got molested meeting some internet stranger. Naturally, a giant scare followed... all the mothers are locking up their doors and hiding their children.

Maybe I'm just ranting at this point, but isn't this whole media crusade against the internet getting old? I understand the genuine concern that a parent would have for their child, but when so many warnings are shown, it becomes propaganda, doesn't it? I think rather then trying to scare everyone offline, that terrible chore of having to be responsible parents and guardians has to come into play.. encouraging people to teach their children seems a lot more sensible and effective than trying to terrify people into abolishing the internet.

Any thoughts?

Things change so much whenever you are responsible for a little human.  Before I started raising Vaughn, it still scared me and that...but it wasn't all that personal.  Now that I am in charge of the well-being of a child...it has become a lot more personal. It makes you think more, worry more, get sickened more, and want nothing but to keep your child away from this garbage.  I believe there are ways to help prevent these things from happening, and whenever Vaughn gets older...I will take those precautions (having the computer in a main room and not his bedroom, blocking certain things, making him aware of the sick crap out there, etc.)...however, some of the things happen regardless of how much you try and protect your child.  It doesn't take an internet to enable someone to do something harmful to your child...but it does make it a whole lot easier for these sickos to have easy access to them. 

I do agree that it has been very much publicized, with the Dateline specials about predators, etc....but I really don't think that they have a negative agenda by repetitively showing it over and over again.  If anything, maybe it's to demonstrate the severity of the problem..so that parents and guardians can be fully aware just how many sick freaks there are out there.

^ The people who seem to find and possess most of this "child pornography" on the web are those crusading against it!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/08/sagrin.gif

The ballyhoo about kiddie porn, child exploitation, dead daughters, and gay marriage is a concerted media conspiracy to distract the masses from economic issues.

But.......don't you know it's not the PARENT'S responsibility to safeguard their children? :o :o

Seriously, though, I agree that it's ridiculous.  It's the parents' job to teach their children what is safe and not safe.  I live in a community where NOTHING is the child's fault....it's other kids, or the internet, or school, etc.  When are parents going to step up and take responsibility for what they have or haven't taught their children?  I've taught my kids right from wrong, how to behave in public, what it's okay to say/not say, etc. (but, also to stick up for themselves) and if I do say so myself, I've done a good job.  I've had many parents tell me how well behaved my kids are and on the few occasions where my kids have been involved in something, I've had parents of kids other than those involved tell me that it was not my kids who did/started/said anything.  I've also heard them tell other kids (when they didn't know I was listening) that they aren't allowed to do/say something and they won't no matter what the other kid says.  I've also taught my oldest about what it's okay/not okay to say online and I hope he'll remember what I've said.

most child molestation/abduction etc. happens by people who know the child and are in a position of trust, not trenchcoats who snatch kids off the street. when it does happen it's often so shocking and repugnant -- there was this case recently of a guy who snatched an 11-year-old and then left her naked on the side of the road, all freaked out, i mean, how irrational and disgusting is that? but people hear about that and think it's happening all over the place when in fact it's really rare.

most child molestation/abduction etc. happens by people who know the child and are in a position of trust, not trenchcoats who snatch kids off the street. when it does happen it's often so shocking and repugnant -- there was this case recently of a guy who snatched an 11-year-old and then left her naked on the side of the road, all freaked out, i mean, how irrational and disgusting is that? but people hear about that and think it's happening all over the place when in fact it's really rare.


This is true.  And the kids who get sucked into internet porn freaks are often those who are getting no parental guidance.  Still, as a parent, I'm glad to know about it.  My kids use MySpace but I've had very frank discussions with them about being careful on the internet.  And all the on-line computers in my house are in places where I can see them at any time.  Not that I spy alot, but I think it helps for them to know I'm paying attention.

As someone said above (Erin I think), when you're a parent, these things take on a completely different perspective, because you'd do anything to safeguard your child from some horrible freak that's out there somewhere in cyberspace.  But you can't shield them from life either.  It's a hard thing.

Anyway, yes, I think the media attention is a bit overblown.  We know they prey on our insecurities and our thirst for bad news.

^ What I've said all along is the child molestation/abduction issue is just an insidious way for the right-wing to get us all to accept Big Brother. None of us want our internet activities monitored by some onerous authority any more than we would want our phone calls or our postal mail monitored, heck, any more than we would want the NSA installing surveillance equipment in our homes.
If the government declared, "We're going to seize the internet, censor any content we don't loke, and record all your keystrokes," the public would go nuts! No way!
So beware the government-media complex. They work toward their goal insidiously. They will start with the claim of protecting children and college girls from predators. Who could possiby object to that? They put angry reactionaries like John Walsh on FOX News to whip up moral panic. And who could object to John Walsh? He lost his own son to a child predator! I have argued that Walsh is still an azzh0le even if the worst thing ever happened to his son 25 years ago. But people get all defensive and retort, "No, I won't have that! What would you do if your son blah blah blah..."
It's all run on emotions, especially fear. Fear breaks individual will. Fear promotes conformity. Fear diminishes rational thought. But best of all, fear assures compliance with the wishes of Big Brother.
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I have to wonder if some parents really are responsible enough to even raise kids, sometimes. Certainly would not hurt them to be responsible about setting up parental controls for kids that use the Internet, and while they're surfing the Web, keep tabs on them..better to pry a little(even if they do get p*ssed off at you)than for a tragedy to happen.

I have to wonder if some parents really are responsible enough to even raise kids, sometimes. Certainly would not hurt them to be responsible about setting up parental controls for kids that use the Internet, and while they're surfing the Web, keep tabs on them..better to pry a little(even if they do get p*ssed off at you)than for a tragedy to happen.



Kids today are so computer savvy that they could do an end-run around any parental controls you try and put on the computer.  And if they can't do it, they probably know someone who can.  It's futile.  The technology is growing at a pace faster than our ability to understand it and work it.  When my sister was younger, she knew how to erase and reprogram the cable box to erase locks my parents put on certain channels.  Does that mean my parents were sh*tty and did a bad job?  Hell no.

And as someone said, most child abductions/molestations occur by people the child knows. 

But.......don't you know it's not the PARENT'S responsibility to safeguard their children? :o :o

Seriously, though, I agree that it's ridiculous.  It's the parents' job to teach their children what is safe and not safe.  I live in a community where NOTHING is the child's fault....it's other kids, or the internet, or school, etc.  When are parents going to step up and take responsibility for what they have or haven't taught their children?  I've taught my kids right from wrong, how to behave in public, what it's okay to say/not say, etc. (but, also to stick up for themselves) and if I do say so myself, I've done a good job.  I've had many parents tell me how well behaved my kids are and on the few occasions where my kids have been involved in something, I've had parents of kids other than those involved tell me that it was not my kids who did/started/said anything.  I've also heard them tell other kids (when they didn't know I was listening) that they aren't allowed to do/say something and they won't no matter what the other kid says.  I've also taught my oldest about what it's okay/not okay to say online and I hope he'll remember what I've said.


Great post.

k.

There are two factors involved here:

- The personal common sense of the parents

- The personal common sense of the child/teenager

I was taught at a very early age not to talk to strangers and I adhered to it. Now that I am older I can discern what is right and wrong for myself. One of the worst things that parents do is allow their kids to have the computer and internet in their own room free of any form of vigilance or supervision. When I was with my ex, the computer was always in the living room so that we were always aware of what her son was doing.

Simple steps like this go a long way. If need be you can always moderate what websites s/he goes on via a firewall. Maybe kids will find a way around it but the way I see it, if my child knowingly broke my rules to protect them I won't let them use the computer I worked hard to pay for - let's see how 'computer savvy' s/he is to get around that one.  ;)

Like in everyday society, there are good and bad people everywhere on the net but if we concentrated on the bad we would be too scared to use this wonderful tool to communicate with people we probably would never have been able to contemplate talking to.

Maybe I'm just ranting at this point, but isn't this whole media crusade against the internet getting old? I understand the genuine concern that a parent would have for their child, but when so many warnings are shown, it becomes propaganda, doesn't it? I think rather then trying to scare everyone offline, that terrible chore of having to be responsible parents and guardians has to come into play.. encouraging people to teach their children seems a lot more sensible and effective than trying to terrify people into abolishing the internet.


Exactly right.

It seems that so many of these 'parents' are far happier to place their child in front of a TV set or a computer and go about their life.
It's called parenting, go to it!

Don't reveal your full name, address, or phone number.
Don't reveal details about where you go and when.
Don't meet anyone from the 'net unchaperoned.

Our parents used to tell us "don't talks to strangers" (and I don't mean Rick Springfield) before the 'net. Tell your kids not to talk to strangers on the internet. The internet is neither private nor secure. The internet is the virtual public. Of course, your kids will go on the internet to meet friends, so they will end up talking to strangers anyway. Thus, the above three rules are crucial. I wish creeps and predators did not pose as kids and troll the internet, but they do. If your kid wants to socialize on the internet there is no way around telling the kid he or she cannot trust anyone. Too bad, eh? Kinda puts a chill in the whole experience. Maybe it's better to socialize the old-fashioned way!

There are also sites such as "ratemybody.com." Supposedly, you have to obtain parental/guardian consent if you're under 18. If your 14-year-old daughter wants to post her bikini pic, I think you know the answer to give!
::)

The bigger reason I would not want my kid on Myspace or Friendster is the NSA is mining these kinds of sites and compiling dossiers on everybody!

i am racing over to ratemybody.com even as we speak to provide moral feedback and guidance! i'll let you know if i find it merely offensive or a complete outrage.

so i checked it out and it's a moral abomination.

anyway, as for ideological mechanisms of state control, the fear-mongering over child abduction definitely figures highly but might not be as much of a guilty party as the internet itself. think about it, here's a device, designed initially by the military, that provides the illusion of social interaction and a site of resistance when in fact it keeps people sitting around in their houses by themselves, pretty much politically impotent.

i am racing over to ratemybody.com even as we speak to provide moral feedback and guidance! i'll let you know if i find it merely offensive or a complete outrage.

http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/evil6.gif

http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/evil6.gif
as a side note, you're approaching zen-slash-ninja-level skills with these smileys.

as a side note, you're approaching zen-slash-ninja-level skills with these smileys.

http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/09/smilejap.gif