Hello everyone,
I'm a young teen and just wanted to talk about a issue that is really bothering me.
My mom is really overprotective of me, especially with the internet. She won't allow me to join websites like MySpace, Xanga, and all the sites like that. She thinks that I'm not going to be safe, and that I would talk to bad men and stuff like that. I know how to be safe, I know I would set my profiles to private, not give out ANY information of myself (except maybe my first name), not talk to bad people, I just know not to give my info ayway. But she still won't let me be free. She finally just recently let me have my own e-mail! That's pretty much the only thing she'll allow me to do on the web (unless it's like, a virtual pet site or something), which sucks because all your friends are on like MySpace, and I feel left out.
So, I was just wanting some peoples opinions on if you think my mom is right with restricting me from the internet. I understand she has a right to want to keep me safe, but still.
Thanks,
loser_lol
|
TheRealDealGoth
Posts:
14
Registered:
2/12/07
|
|
(6 of 6)
Re: overprotective parents
Feb 17, 2007 10:02 PM
|
|
*is a teen as well*
I understand your side, as well as your mothers, Izzy and Anne have given some great information/help. I beleive you should follow through with Anne's offer, get your mom into it, parent's can be cool too ;P
|
|
|
loser_lol
Posts:
2
Registered:
2/15/07
|
|
(5 of 6)
Re: overprotective parents
Feb 17, 2007 2:52 PM
|
Thank you both very much! I really appreciate the advice. Anne, I'll be sure and give my mom your e-mail address. Thank ya'll again!  |
|
|
Anne
Posts:
507
Registered:
6/26/06
|
|
(4 of 6)
Re: overprotective parents
Feb 16, 2007 11:52 AM
|
Hear, hear! I think that's great advice, izzy - thank you. Building on the idea of letting your mom participate in creating your profile (or just watch you set it up), you could also create hers! Then let her be on your friends list.
We tell parents all the time that it takes about 5 min. to set up a bare-bones profiles - no *has* to upload a photo, answer any questions, or fill in all the boxes. But it could be fun for her. That way, parents see it's not rocket science and feel like they have a measure of control.
It's good for teen users to know too that they don't have to answer any questions that they're uncomfortable with, and they can upload photos of animated characters or art they themselves have created to express themselves. Just some further ideas. But seriously, I'd be glad to talk to your mom just as a fellow parent if she'd like to call. If she emails admin@blogsafety.com, I'll send you or her my phone number.
Anne
--
Anne Collier
BlogSafety co-director |
|
|
izzy Neis
Posts:
10
From:
Chicago, IL
Registered:
10/23/06
|
|
(3 of 6)
Re: overprotective parents
Feb 16, 2007 9:09 AM
|
Wow. Overprotective parents are crazy right? But, above all, remember that they're doing this because they want to keep you as safe as possible (hence the "protection" part of overprotection). Like Anne said, there are new tools on myspace that can help protect your identity and such. Maybe (and I know this might sound lame) start up a myspace page with your mom's help. I mean, something is better than nothing, right? You can learn the tools together, and work it out. Perhaps, after some time she will see how smart you are, and she'll feel more confident in your protection and start backing off. Remember-- it's not like parents grew up with this web-lifestyle. They're trying to figure it out too. From their perspective, parents are watching their teens venture independently into the web, especially on sites such as myspace, where parents have no previous understanding. All they hear is the news saying over and over "myspace is bad!" and "internet is dangerous" --Both of which can be true if people are stupid about their myspace & internet use. Think about it this way: If you get hurt or in trouble on myspace, how can your parent react properly? No parent wants to see their kid in trouble. It isn't just the issue of identity theft these days, it's also cyberbullying and stalking (among other things). Basically, in a parent's mind, they just want to make sure they can be there to help if something goes wrong, and it's hard to "be there" if you don't understand what "there" is... ya know? Hang in there! Help your mom out, walk her through myspace, and make an event of it. Instead of telling her how smart you are-- show her. You might just earn yourself a few more marks of trust and pride from her. Best of luck |
|
|
Anne
Posts:
507
Registered:
6/26/06
|
|
(2 of 6)
Re: overprotective parents
Feb 15, 2007 7:36 PM
|
Thanks for your post. For one thing, you probably know that MySpace's minimum age is 14. If your friends who use the site are younger than that, they're violating the site's terms and their profiles could be taken down any time. MySpace just isn't for people under 14, no matter how many under-14s are on it.
If you are at least 14, you can tell your mom that MySpace has very good protections for people who register as 14 or 15 which can't be turned off. It's actually very safe for kids who just socialize with their friends at school, no strangers or friends of friends. No one can ask to be on a 14-year-old's friends list who doesn't know your full name or email address, and the only way someone can see the 14-year-old's profile is if s/he's already on the friends list. Fourteen- and 15-year-olds also can't be searched in MySpace or from out on the Web. We certainly respect how much your mom clearly loves you, but if she'd like to talk to us, have her email admin@blogsafety.com, ok?
Anne
--
Anne Collier
BlogSafety co-director |
|
|
loser_lol
Posts:
2
Registered:
2/15/07
|
|
(1 of 6)
Feb 15, 2007 4:03 PM
|
|
Hello everyone,
I'm a young teen and just wanted to talk about a issue that is really bothering me.
My mom is really overprotective of me, especially with the internet. She won't allow me to join websites like MySpace, Xanga, and all the sites like that. She thinks that I'm not going to be safe, and that I would talk to bad men and stuff like that. I know how to be safe, I know I would set my profiles to private, not give out ANY information of myself (except maybe my first name), not talk to bad people, I just know not to give my info ayway. But she still won't let me be free. She finally just recently let me have my own e-mail! That's pretty much the only thing she'll allow me to do on the web (unless it's like, a virtual pet site or something), which sucks because all your friends are on like MySpace, and I feel left out.
So, I was just wanting some peoples opinions on if you think my mom is right with restricting me from the internet. I understand she has a right to want to keep me safe, but still.
Thanks,
loser_lol
|
|
|
|
|
