Underage Blogging
I think blogging is an awesome idea for the next generation. To have freedom to speak your mind and actually have people interested, that's a great thing. Blogging is an outlet; everyone has something to say. And just like the radio, if you don't like it, don't go to that site.
But do teenagers have the right to blog? Should their parents have the right to tell them that they can or can't post their thoughts to the Internet? Definately a sticky situation; in the role of a parent, my views on this have changed. I don't want pictures of my daughter floating on the Internet for creepy child molestors to peruse. Nobody is safe on the Net; IP addresses are fairly easy to locate with the slightest bit of computer knowledge. Like you, reading right now, I can track your IP address. But I don't. And most people won't. But as a mother, you worry about that kind of stuff.
And as a mother, you also worry about the mental state of your child. But the Internet is a good place to figure out what's going on in your kid's head. If they're posting an online diary, they make it pretty easy for you to check up on them. So do you tell them to take it down? Or do you give them that outlet, and use it against them later? My mother read my diary when I was growing up; I hated her at the time, but I'm sure I gave her good reason to do it. I was running with a really bad crowd, and she was worried for my safety & well-being.
But blogging makes it incredibly easy to check up on your kids. There's no lock to pick. In essence, it's simply a means of communication. If you read something on your kid's site that you don't like, maybe you should take a look at yourself as a parent and wonder why they didn't share it with you to begin with. Use it as a tool to help you understand your child better. But don't try to stifle their views; in a few short years, they'll be gone, and that chance to communicate will be long gone, too.
But do teenagers have the right to blog? Should their parents have the right to tell them that they can or can't post their thoughts to the Internet? Definately a sticky situation; in the role of a parent, my views on this have changed. I don't want pictures of my daughter floating on the Internet for creepy child molestors to peruse. Nobody is safe on the Net; IP addresses are fairly easy to locate with the slightest bit of computer knowledge. Like you, reading right now, I can track your IP address. But I don't. And most people won't. But as a mother, you worry about that kind of stuff.
And as a mother, you also worry about the mental state of your child. But the Internet is a good place to figure out what's going on in your kid's head. If they're posting an online diary, they make it pretty easy for you to check up on them. So do you tell them to take it down? Or do you give them that outlet, and use it against them later? My mother read my diary when I was growing up; I hated her at the time, but I'm sure I gave her good reason to do it. I was running with a really bad crowd, and she was worried for my safety & well-being.
But blogging makes it incredibly easy to check up on your kids. There's no lock to pick. In essence, it's simply a means of communication. If you read something on your kid's site that you don't like, maybe you should take a look at yourself as a parent and wonder why they didn't share it with you to begin with. Use it as a tool to help you understand your child better. But don't try to stifle their views; in a few short years, they'll be gone, and that chance to communicate will be long gone, too.
posted by Kristie at 12:20 PM
2 Comments:
My wife and I discussed this getting ready this morning. My step-daughter had a blog. Her dad made her take it down. My wife asked lots of questions.
I like the point of view of checking on them, but too young ( under 16 ) is a little too young. I think there are too many wackos out there.
I like that my step-daughter thinks the world is a safe place. It means her mother and I have don a good job of keeping things clean. She's had some scrapes, but we're also cautious of the things she doesn't know yet. The internet is like the wild west and she has no idea about what can happen.
Good post. Odd coincidnece!
~Jef
I'm not a parent, so all I can do is tell you what I think. I think kids ought to do blogs, just like diaries. I also think the parents should read them without the child knowing about it (the child will be careful what do say if he/she knows mom or dad will read it). I don't think children should be allowed to post pictures of them and their friends for the obvious reason. If the child is old enough to reason (which I don't know really when that is) set some rules about their blogs, say what you want, but no self pictures.
By the way, how do you track IP addresses, I don't have the slightest idea.
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