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How do you protect teenagers in a virtual world?

posted Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2008 1:30pm

See more on: Blogs, Children, Frontline

I'm a very diligent parent. No teenager of mine would ever host a sexy personal website or surf dangerous waters on my watch.

Of course, I don't have kids – so my ideal parent status is all naively hypothetical. And hey, modern (teenage) culture is one reason I don't. I remember when predators were guys who cruised neighborhoods in old beat-up vans. Now, the World Wide Web offers a free predator's license to anyone with a modem. Tonight's "Frontline," a new report called "Growing Up Online," confirms my fear that raising a teen in the digital age requires an altogether new kind of parental diligence.

Shy 14-year-old Jessica Hunter, unpopular among her peers, reinvented herself as ?Autumn Edows? on a personal website. Emboldened by her private goth artist/model persona, she posted provocative photos of herself and in no time developed a cult following. Without even leaving her house, Jessica achieved what most teenagers desperately want: popularity.

According to tonight's "Frontline," Jessica's parents learned of her website through her school principal, who'd been tipped off by another child's parents. They'd had no idea of their child's shocking online world.

All over the country, teenagers are fluent in an online language and savvy enough to maintain virtual lifestyles and communities where they're sexier, cooler and more powerful than they are in the school hallways. And it can all be done behind a closed bedroom door.

From the childless point of view, it always seems Jessica's situation is something that happens to other people's children. (My imaginary kids would be confident, well-behaved and self-respecting, of course!) Of course none of us truly knows what kind of children we'll end up raising – or what kind of parents we'll be. Most people just try their best.

What is the parent of a teenager to do when it comes to monitoring computer time and just making sure their child understands the dangers of virtual living? I'll be tuning into "Frontline" to see what the experts say, but if you have ideas on the best way to keep a teenager's interests onto more wholesome and/or non-virtual pursuits, please weigh in. Here's a preview of the program – airing tonight at 9.

Allison, Rocky Mountain PBS

Tune In

Frontline
"Growing Up Online"

What's your point of view?

Margaret Pevec
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 › 4:46pm
I, too, do not have the difficult job of keeping my teenagers safe online, since my children are now well into their 20's and 30's. But it seems to me that frequent and repeated discussion at school and at home about ALL topics, including online safety, is the key to keeping teens safe everywhere. They need to be informed and they need a chance to discuss, hear differing views, consider the dangers and understand the emotional/psychological reasons why someone might want to create a fictional life and why a predator might find a person who does so vulnerable to his attention.

If MySpace is where kids want to be, curriculums should be developed by innovative teachers to make it the focus of creative writing assignments and human psychology. Engaging kids in learning about things they already care about is one way to raise everyone's consciousness about this new world we are creating in all its wonder, complexity and potential danger.

Shalene F.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 › 5:15pm
Sometimes I thin k the internet is the best and worst thing that ever happened to our society.

Sirena
Thursday, January 24, 2008 › 7:54am
keep the computer out of their bedroom. Our computer is located in the family room and always will be.

Allison, Rocky Mountain PBS
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 › 9:52am
By the way, FANTASTIC program. I missed it when it aired but watched it online (of all places). What I failed to mention in my post is that the program explores the complicated relationships of teenagers and their parents, and the struggles that happen when teens begin to break out on their own in little ways. Privacy has always been a big parent/teen battle, and the Internet is just a new frontier for freedom. This is excellent viewing and the Frontline video player couldn't be easier. Check it out here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/

(You can watch dozens of Frontline programs online. What a world.)

Jane
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 › 2:52pm
As another childless person and technology lover, I wonder about this as well. How do you manage this? How do you accurately assess your child's state of mind and know which behaviors are clear signs of problems?

I'd love to also think my child would never do that, whatever terrible, dangerous thing "that" might be, but I know better. Everyone is vulnerable in some way, particularly kids.

Shalene F.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 › 5:15pm
Sometimes I thin k the internet is the best and worst thing that ever happened to our society.

Sirena
Thursday, January 24, 2008 › 7:54am
keep the computer out of their bedroom. Our computer is located in the family room and always will be.