This Is Your Brain; This Is Your Brain On MySpace
from the before-you-click-submit... dept
With all of the talk about sexual predators lurking on MySpace along with the warnings that anything you post online could come back to haunt you down the road when you're looking for a job, the act of post anything on line is coming to be seen as a high-risk activity. It's so much so that the state of Florida has launched a "Think Before You Post" campaign, warning girls specifically about the dangers of posting personal information to sites like MySpace. The advice itself, to think before you post, isn't bad at all, and it applies to everyone, but it's hard to imagine this campaign being particularly effective. For one thing, inexplicably, the ads are only running on radio and TV and not on the internet. They might want to revisit that at some point. Furthermore, government propaganda aimed at kids, with the anti-drug ads that were popularized in the 80s being the most prominent, doesn't have a great track record, in terms of effectiveness. It seems like it would be much better to save these tax dollars and encourage parents to speak to their children directly about proper internet usage.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Government:"Don't worry we'll 'Save the Children'"
Parents:"Thank god, I don't have to take responsibility for my own kids anymore!"
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
O.O
Surely if people hvnt learnt about the dangers of posting personal information on the internet by now, they deserve SOMETHING bad happening? maye not getting raped, or having identity stolen, but SOMETHING! karma dictates!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I'm looking forward to the War on Internet Porn™!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
http://politics.slashdot.org/politics/07/03/23/213212.shtml
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
My Space, Not
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: My Space, Not
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: My Space, Not
measurebating My Space stats. So, read twice before you
post some bullshit comment. BTW I never used the word hacked and would never use it in a negative way, I am not the media.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
You can see it here....
(No insult intended, but 'First!!!' is not particularly insightfull comment)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
There's a difference
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Wait...
Sounds perfect and very well needed to me.
As for all the "save the children" blamers, learn to think for yourself. noone here is trying to offload their responsibilities on the government.
Get a grip, get a clue, get something. Just get off my interent, you're lowering my intelligence.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Besides that, no one deserves "rape-age" any more than you do. Would you like for some hairy, burly escaped inmate from the local jail to come to your house hungry for some tough lovin'? I think not. Granted, I'd disclaim the above as a mild generalization, but the basic ideal holds true.
Thirdly, MySpace isn't inherently "evil" or "bad", it's the people who use it. If you take a look at some profiles, the stay reasonably within the lines of good taste. It's the odd one that has her age listed as 19 when they are actually closer to 15. (I happen to know a couple, unfortunately.)
Case-and-point, just because someone uses a certain social networking site safely and intelligently, doesn't me they still "deserve" anything.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re:
So, if you're trying to make the point that not all MySpace users are stupid or that generalizations are bad you've made it quite well. If you're trying to convince anyone that those masses of mere average teenagers left off to fend for themselves are competent of doing so you're way off.
Just some food for thought for that overly active teenage brain of yours. Personally I don't care a bit about the fate of MySpace users, if people don't learn how to take care of themselves (and yes their parents could obviously be a big help there) there's nothing the US government or a bunch of TD readers can do for them. Common sense, such a shame it isn't.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Consider the options for what the government usually tries to do:
1)ban the internet outright, because its the internet's fault.
2)Make specific sights liable for the actions of its users
3)blame everyone but the criminal, and make us all bare the costs.
At least here they are trying to address the actual issue without some kneejerk legislation such as PATRIOT ACT, Protect the child by outlawing everything act, COPA, etc
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I refuse to subscribe to any site like myspace, or start a blog, or whatever. I don't consider myself antisocial, but I do like to have some control over what kind of people I reveal myself to. I have a few internet acquaintences, but not many know too much about me personally. Call me old-fashioned, but I think it would be better to get to know people in real life in your own neighborhood.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
People want to bring down websites and censor things all over the place... chat rooms, web sites, blogs, etc. What I am interested by is the fact that the problems we all identify with these technologies are the same problems we have had for centuries in one way or another. There were predators before the Internet. There are so many mediums that can be used for a predator to enumerate potential victims... some are technology related, and some are not.
My point being is that these are not new problems (not by a long shot). These are the same problems we have had since forever.
Take responsibility for yourselves and educate your children (and yourselves!).
And relax. There is really nothing wrong with "Bong Hits for Jesus" or a boob shot during the halftime show... :)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Kids escape into games and the internet and whatever else they have fun doing because they enough to deal with. Parents demand performance and results because they love and fear for their kids. They want their kids to be safe and innocent so they shield and hide them from the world. Why not teach to think about choice and consequence. Impart your wisdom to them when they ask for it. Then they well be strong and ready face the world beyond the backyard.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I'll stick to the drugs then. ;)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
eyes front and center
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Myspace is certainly not exclusively used by american teens.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
MySpace
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Online ads
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
For the pimps and hoes
www.myspace.com/78094881
[ link to this | view in chronology ]