MySpace deleted 29,000 sex offender profiles from the social networking site.Home to over 180 million user profiles, that number amounts to a single grain of sand on the virtual beach.
I feel safer already. NOT!
If MySpace really wants to "protect the children", then require credit card verification before permitting the post of an online profile.
Hold the mouse! What's that noise? The sound of a savvy teenage user base making fast tracks to another social networking site, dragging bajillions of advertising dollars along with them.
MySpace--by caving to law enforcement--is basically kissing up to parents, offering a band aid on the scary virtual world, barring the door closed against the big bad wolf in order to save the little pigs.
Remember when "no television" was big in parental circles? How about a "no computer" movement?
Ah, but that would require parents acting like parents.
The latest research--which the mainstream press didn't bother to cover--indicates that myths and misperceptions about online predators are driving adults to misguided efforts to protect young people.
Mike Savage, Savage Nation--a severely conservative guy- recently asked a glaringly obvious question regarding the sex offender issue.
Ask yourself why so many sex offenders?
And why now?
While I try to pry your thinking outside the box, MySpace will continue to perpetuate a stereotype while giving parents a free pass regarding responsible supervision of their kids.
2 comments:
No doubt! Offering a band-aid on the scary virtual world is nothing more than that; a band-aid, which will fix nothing ultimently. Parental-responsibility is the key to fixing this problem. It is, by all standards, a fairly recent problem of a bigger problem that has existed much longer. But, they key is parental-responsibility. Look at the latest cases that made the news, and examine whether Predators would have suceeded if the parents were more involved with their kids. Look at the Lundsford case, and Jessica would likely be alive today if her dead-beat of a father was more actively involved as a responsible parent. Perhaps the criminal justice system needs to consider prosecuting, automatically, the parents of child-crimes.
Not a bad idea, Michelle. Allowing a child to sit before a computer for hours could be considered a form of emotional neglect on the part of the parents, that's for certain. I'm positive if a kid was reported to watch inappropriate cable tv for hours that social services would be called in to investigate ....interesting line of thinking outside the box...kudos to you!
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