Parents Think The Internet Is More Dangerous Than Drugs Or Drunk Driving?
from the that's-what-the-press-taught-them dept
We've discussed repeatedly how the press has freaked people out over the greatly overhyped threats of online risks to children. And, not surprisingly, those stories have had an impact. Adam Thierer points us to a Larry Magid column where he's discussing a recent survey that shows many parents are more worried about online threats to their kids than they are about the threat of drunk driving or drugs. Magid points out how silly this is, and how low the real risk is to kids surfing the internet. He's the latest mainstream press columnist to realize how much the mainstream press has overplayed this threat for years. It's just too bad that it's taken this long for everyone to realize the threat online isn't nearly as big as it has been made out to be.
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Filed Under: dangers, drunk driving, internet, parents
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The Scared Mommies strike again
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Mob Think
It hasnt taken anyone "this long", its just ceased to be as profitable to write these stories I would guess. If a journalist did a story on how scary the internet is, he would jsut be trying to sell one of a million similar stories to outlets that have already run trillions of them. Now he decides to do a story about how the internet isnt really that bad . . . well thats a new take, easier to sell.
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Bah!
eat more babies.
But seriously, am I really to believe that parents
think the internet is more dangerous to their children
than drunk driving? It's view so remarkably stupid in
light of the statistics as to be mind numbing.
It's the sort of news article that threatens to suffocate
that little ember of hope for a better future.
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Re: Bah!
Bury the stats towards the end of the story, you might as well not both having them.
Then there is statistics comprehension, or the fundamental lack thereof.
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Re: The Scared Mommies strike again
If only you'd started with "Soon the Scared Mommies...'" but the first part renders your entire statement null & void.
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Re: Re: The Scared Mommies strike again
Greg, you are probably a person who hates knee-jerk reactions, right?
Then don't knee-jerk the other way just because he said one stupid thing. Even a fool can be wise at times.
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Re: Re: The Scared Mommies strike again
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But equally amazing is that their works seem to preclude any need to re-fill the current Social Security Trust Fund as it's amazingly deflated by our current administration.
Let me ask one question: Have you seen a recent M3 chart based on Fed Data?
Sometimes I wonder if collectively myself and the other brothers and sisters will be able to re-fill the SS Trust fund for our parents, or do we just say forget the government programs and do it ourselves.
Another friend, whom I am quite happy for, is considering moving to Turkey to do some crazy bomb manufacturing under a McCain administration. Now, I was brought in to a fancy company to find out how to make bombs faster and more efficiency. This was all very interesting to me because another college friend of mine was looking at how to make the US DoD ordering process more efficient.
Other friends were interested in making mortgages go through, even if it meant paying an appraiser to make the house worth 10 or 40k more than it actually was worth. (Hilarious Stories, BTW.)
But all of this seems to prelude parental usage of overhyped users of internet as they attempt to tie it into online treats for kids, be it Drugs or Drunk Driving.
Don't get me wrong: NeoCon methodologies work well if you remove variability. However, considering that the US's foundation is based on variability, and creative thinking, our financial system shouldn't be based on a system of absolutes.
No one is going to be able to pay their bills 100% on time.
For shit sake, Let your kids be kids. They probably know more than you do. Give your kids a little room, as they will be the ones trying to fill the Social Security Trust fund as you are retiring. Give them a little room as they explore the world. It was quite sad when a college friend with direct lineage to Lewis & Clark was afraid to leave the apartment to go and explore, even though I said:
"8-10 is yours. Just go and leave: my only ask is that you bring me a receipt that you've been somewhere. I'll pay you $17 an hour for which you are YOU. GO. BE. HAVE FUN. I don't care! Your fucking Great Grandfather has his name all over the Louisiana Purchase. Tap into that."
They never left. They never were curious. Good Job, NeoCons.
Overall, we're going to need some creative solutions as we watch the world evolve.
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Re: Re: Re: The Scared Mommies strike again
You're that guy that is really arrogant. Sad.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: The Scared Mommies strike again
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Re:
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unfortunately
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Only in America
I have it on good authority that youngsters in the UK play a game called "pass the pedo". The kids over there apparently recognize the deception and don't fall for it.
What is different there? Certainly not a less inflamatory press. Perhaps more critical thinking is taught earlier?
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Not that I know anything...
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I'm worried because I don't know enough about them. Drunk driving, and drugs. I understand what those risks are, I know ways to keep my kids from them. It's not that it isn't a concern, I just do what I can and don't worry.
Online threat? Even the term is vague. Are we talking about someone threatening my kids online, or just the fact that they are online is a threat? Does this include identity theft, voyeurism, child porn and other terrible things?
I live in a rural enough area that the chance of someone offering my kids drugs or getting hit by a drunk driver is low (highest would be once a month). However just today there are several spam e-mails in my inbox which are not something I would want to see, let alone my kids.
I'm not saying the Internet is "bad," but I think it is wishful thinking to think it is "safe." The more people you connect with, the greater the risk (and the greater the reward).
As my kids are very trusting, they are also easy prey. For this reason I worry.
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"delivering porn and bomb recipies into the hands of children"
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Re: Re: Re: The Scared Mommies strike again
But those tax cuts helped the economy and /boosted/ federal revenue.
It's the spending that's the problem. I'm not going to argue about the price of war, but that's not even the main place where spending is out of control. The reasons for the economic downturn lie elsewhere. (Though it's easy to see how you could be confused into thinking the tax cuts are related to the downturn, it's just not true)
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surprised?
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How about all of these together?
I think parents see how much the Internet costs particularly if you're browsing from home and they think spending all the time (therefore money) on it is a bad idea. IMO, it could keep you away from Drunk Driving and Drugs as much as anything else.
Drugs and Alcohol costs are funneled differently and parents get paranoid only when they learn about it. It's just protectionist fear.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: The Scared Mommies strike again
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"The IMF will never forgive the US's debt."
Not my words, but...
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Re: surprised?
not to jump to absolute and ridiculous generalizations (AHEM)
but one might conclude that THOM
Sprang forth fully formed from the Head of Zeus (and thus never had childhood or parents)
or
Might possibly be a surly teenager who has had his WOW privileges taken away.
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Predator Panic
Larry
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Re: The Scared Mommies strike again
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ghutyjytgy
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kujkki,kuj
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kmjk,gyjhkityghk7
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