Slashdot Mirror
Internet Not Really Dangerous For Kids After All
Thomas M Hughes writes "We're all familiar with the claim that it's horribly dangerous to allow our children on to the Internet. It's long been believed that the moment a child logs on to the Internet, he will experience a flood of inappropriate sexual advances. Turns out this isn't an accurate representation of reality at all. A high-profile task force representing 49 state attorneys general was organized to find a solution to the problem of online sexual solicitation. But instead the panel has issued a report (due to be released tomorrow) claiming that 'Social networks are very much like real-world communities that are comprised mostly of good people who are there for the right reasons.' The report concluded that 'the problem of child-on-child bullying, both online and offline, poses a far more serious challenge than the sexual solicitation of minors by adults.' Turns out the danger to our children was all just media hype and parental anxiety." Those who have aggressively pushed the issue of the dangerous Internet, such as Connecticut's attorney general Richard Blumenthal, are less than happy with the report.
Counter-strike has voice communication. Grammatical structure and tone gives one much information about how old a person is.
> Hmmm... I've yet to get the shit beat out of me on the internet, but have gotten my ass kicked at a playground a couple times.
Bruises heal without any effort, and as a kid it's usually within days.
Emotional scars can last a lifetime.
Obligatory bullying ref:
Big, Bad Bully
Excellent article on the phenomenon of bullying. Gave me a lot of insight into the dynamic.
When I was a kid the van was black.
Consider yourself spoken to.
As an active member of the internet generation, I have to say that the internet has done a lot to screw me up, mostly because I found 4chan early.
As an active member of the internet generation, I have to say that the internet has done a lot to help me (and I found 4chan early, too).
if there was a random kid in distress in a public, my top priority would be to put a safe distance between myself and the area the kid is in.
There was a story on the news last winter. A guy stopped and offered a ride to a girl that was walking to the bus stop on a cold morning. Yes, he stopped, asked if she needed a ride, then drove off when told "no" and didn't press or such. And when the child told someone, they decided they needed to identify this person and have the police interview them. Not because they committed a crime, but because males are not allowed to offer to help children of any kind. When there is a mention of such an incident on multiple TV chanels and the newspaper and they state the police want to "talk" to him, though no law was broken, then the system is broken. Someone broke our society. I want to call in a warranty repair.
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