Deleting Online Teens Act
While doing some searching around for work, I came across a post on the BlogSafety Community forum by Larry Magid entitled Deleting ONline Predators or Deleting Online Teens.
It’s well worth the read. In a nutshell, Larry points out that while the act is intended to stop online predators, what it’s actually doing is stopping teens from accessing interactive websites in what is often the only supervised place they use the internet; their school.
If children are going to get into trouble online, chances are it won’t
be at school. They’ll be home, they’ll be at a friend’s house or they
could even be completely away from adult supervision using their mobile
phones. Schools and libraries are relatively protected environments
where adults are never far away and, for the most part, computers are in
public locations that make it difficult for users to hide what they’re
doing.
Larry makes some very powerful points about the value of social networking sites as a ‘potential safety valve’.
I spoke with John
Draper of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, who said that
at-risk kids are increasingly using their online profiles “to in some
ways convey they had suicidal intent.” Draper said that these sites have “the very real potential for saving
lives because the first people to hear about kids at risk are other
kids.” His organization is setting up profiles on MySpace, Xanga and
Facebook as a resource for teens.
The question is, what about this act actually protects online teens? It blocks one way that they can access to some sites that predators have used to meet teens. However, it doesn’t stop teens from accessing those sites, nor does it stop predators from using them. It’s lip service, through and through.
If anything, schools and libraries are the sole places that students SHOULD have access to those sites. Locations where they will have supervision, guidance, and support in their explorations. Larry sums it up pretty well in his conclusion:
I’m glad Congress is concerned with Internet safety but rather than pass
DOPA, it ought to be funding campaigns to educate children, parents, and
teachers on how to use the Internet safely – while giving the cops and
prosecutors the resources they need to truly delete online predators.
Can I get an amen?
technorati tags:dopa, education, blogging, safety, internet
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Leave a comment
AMEN. Thank you for a terrific post, much along what I’ve been thinking lately–well done.
Kimberly Moritz
8/9/2006
I couldn’t agree more. It’s essential for students to learn how to be safe even as they use social software on the Internet. We should take it for granted that they are going to use the Internet. Now we need to decide if we want them to have the skills to use it wisely. Prohibiting students from using social software at school would have been a lot like prohbiting them from going on field trips in days gone by. Because once you leave the school and go out onto the streets dangerous things can happen. Yes, this is true. But to forbid field trips would have been absurd. Smart adults should want students to develop “Internet smarts” which nicely compliment “street smarts.”
Andrew Pass
http://www.Pass-Ed.com/blogger.html
Andrew Pass
8/9/2006
Amen!! Teaching students to be safe on the Internet, I feel, should be part of the curriculum. Starting in Kindergarten, students should be learning Internet Safety and it should continue well into high school. If you think about it, nobody has really taught today’s teenagers Internet Safety. Most everything they have learned and are engaging in has been all on their own. They’re growing up in the Digital Age where their parents and teachers did not. It would be great to see this part of the curriculum. iSafe America http://www.isafe.org/ is a great place to start. It has free PD and free K-12 curriculum once you complete the PD. Thanks for the post =)
Jewell Folta
8/10/2006
Hello! I was looking for something to read then I found yours, nice blog!
I check out the whole stuff and its really interesting. Hope to check out more from you . Keep it up!
kristine
10/14/2010
I agree with jewel, There are many reasons why they did that. It could be because they are not raised in a good, supportive home environment. It could be because of the wrong choices that they make. It could be because they hang out with the wrong crowd, are experimenting with drugs, sex or alcohol, are battling a disorder they do not understand, and more.
Elden Moctezuma´s last [type] ..Drugs and Warning Signs
Elden Moctezuma
1/28/2011
I agree with jewell, there are many reasons why they did that. It could be because they are not raised in a good, supportive home environment. It could be because of the wrong choices that they make. It could be because they hang out with the wrong crowd, are experimenting with drugs, sex or alcohol, are battling a disorder they do not understand, and more.
Elden Moctezuma
1/28/2011
Clever work and reporting! Keep up the great works guys I’ve added you guys to my blogroll. This is a great article thanks for sharing this informative information.. I will visit your blog regularly for some latest post.thanks for sharing.
Glymed Reviews
7/27/2011
I agree with this post there are many articles like this but this is one of the best and definitely i will refer this to my friends.
SEO India
7/28/2011
hello-save children life on internet web site , i am agree all friends
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Andrew Daker´s last [type] ..Color scheme
Andrew Daker
8/25/2011
hi friend i think all people are save our future so no given
any drugs and no include any sexual comment
not wrong choices that take . It could be because they hang out with the wrong crowd
California Boot Camp
Van Tiel´s last [type] ..Color scheme
Van Tiel
8/25/2011
There are many options to choose from regarding teen placement options. There a couple of sites that have a lot to say about boarding schools for troubled teens her is one http://www.bootcampsforteens.com/index.html
Another great site to check out is http://www.teenboardingschools.info/
Parents seeking placement for their troubled and defiant teens need to be cautious about where they send their child. There are some programs that have bad reputations, there are some that have negative things said about them. It is important that parents realize that not everything on the Internet is true. Like the news some things are taken out of context, and some things are never reported. Parents should seek professional help when placing their teen.
Dave Harris
11/28/2011