Quarterly Newsletter
No end in “site”
Just as sites like MySpace and YouTube attempt to clean up their acts – monitoring and prohibiting nudity, violence, and piracy – new sites where anything goes are popping up all over the place.
Among such unregulated culprits, Stickam stands out as the newest social networking site that young people between 14-17 are joining to the tune of 2,000 to 3,000 every day. The draw? Stickam takes a giant step over MySpace, allowing so much more than the simple creation of profile pages and the uploading of video clips. Stickam allows users to broadcast live, unfiltered video and engage in face-to-face chats.
And with only 35 employees, Stickam says they count on their users to monitor themselves. Oh, sure!
Of course, once Stickam bows to mainstream pressure and tightens the reins, young people will turn to Dailymotion (featuring pirated television and lots of nudity), LiveLeak (featuring explicit war footage and other gruesome fare), or the next daring, radical site – just around the corner.
There’s no escape…no end in sight. Parents and teens must be ever vigilant.
Point of View — by Jacqueline Danforth
Founder and Executive Director of New Horizons
 These days, we all talk a lot about being connected – about getting connected and staying connected. But the real question is what are we connecting to? Unfortunately, for many teenagers, it’s to some anonymous, faceless entity on the Internet.
That concerns me. Chat rooms and sites like MySpace and Facebook allow our children to socialize without boundaries. Hoping to fit in and be more popular, they “try on” what they think “cool” kids and pop stars are like by inventing Internet personalities. But they simply don’t have the education, knowledge, or experience to understand the ramifications of such role playing.
And, of course, the more hours kids are on the Internet, the less time they’re spending in contact with real human beings. So, essentially, teens who choose the computer over the high school ballgame or the family dinner compromise their chances for making true connections.
But technology entices. It promises instant popularity and a sympathetic ear. In truth, however, “talking” on the Internet often isolates teens looking for acceptance and understanding even further – and it also tempts them to take risks.
At New Horizons we understand the benefits of technology. But we also see a great need. Young women need to be taught about meaningful communication and about how to balance communicating through technology and communicating face-to-face. We help girls find that balance.
In my heart, I believe that most people want children to be safe and to succeed. That means we all – parents and guardians, teachers and mentors – must teach the children we care about to exercise great caution when exploring the Internet. And we must help them learn to develop healthy relationships and to make real connections.
[next article]
|
| Winter 2007
|
