SOL... (and others)
You may think I'm picking on you (and you may be right). But I've offered a number of proactive actions you can take to *improve the situation*. So far you've made it abundantly clear that your position is for parents to teach their kids to be safe online (a good suggestion but it's more likely that teens know more about Net Safety than their parents) and/or take a do nothing/ignore attitude towards pretty much what goes on, especially in the area of cyberbullying.
I've listened to you, but have you listened to me? Have you visited any of the sites where you can make this a better world (takingitglobal, nabuur, etc.)? How about teaching others how to be safe online. BTW, assuming your surfing on a PC now from home, do you login with a limited account so that you won't get zapped by any virus page you land on (since you can't install executables from a limited account).
Remember, the adults here *are not against kids using the Net, especially even MySpace or gaming sites*. Indeed, I could argue (and have done so here) for educational uses of MySpace. I've also suggested you form a MySpace group at school and take some kind of leadership role there. Of course, your peers have something to say about this and all of them have Net (and other) savvy.
One of the key skills that you as a student need for the 21st Century is the ability to work with others and collaborate. Work together (and play together) to solve problems. Game theory is just starting to really take off in education. Kids love to play games and have fun. I say "great"! Can we find a way for them to have fun and learn at the same time? Maybe. I'd argue that some first person shooters (on WWII and Vietnam for instance) might make excellent papers in your Social Studies class. Have you ever thought about using the Net to create an alternative assignment for one of your classes?
I think kids, and everyone else for that matter, should have fun and yes, learn, on the Net. I also firmly believe that we are *all here to help each other and not just ourselves*. If you're cyberbullying others, then quit it... what does it really get you? If you're not helping others then ask yourself why not. If you're doing things online that you shouldn't, well, you know what they are and certainly if you're going to argue for adults to leave you alone then you should take responsibility for it yourself.
I'm all about safety and support. I caught my eldest visiting porn one day (the same day). Punishment? Yeah... I originally banned him from being online for a while (cut the punishment later) but more importantly had a good talk with him about porn, women, growing up etc. It's the not the first and it's not the last of many talks to come. I certainly agree with you and urge you to talk to your parents, and parents talk to your kids. I also agree that filtering software really isn't the answer for most (but maybe not all) parents. I also 100% agree with you that it shouldn't be the first line of defense and there are much better ways to deal with things. Finally I strongly support the position that JSN doesn't work on most students (if not almost all).
I'm glad you're on board here, as well as the other teens that are sharing your thoughts. I'd like to recommend that you get other teens, teachers, parents here to discuss issues and receive support.
Regards,
Jeff Cooper
Education Technology Support Consultant --
Edited by jbcoops at 09/14/2006 12:05 PM
This is kind of like a little poll. 
