Delete DOPA
Parents must play ‘Net cop:
Rose DesRochers posted an entry today in support of the DOPA Act. While I understand her concern I politlely disagree. At the end of her post Rose asks “Where does a concerned parent turn?” Well the article I just linked to has some answers…
That’s the problem with the Internet: Children often know more than the adults around them. Kids are the ones who know how to share files and they’re the ones fluent in online acronyms. They’re the ones posting profiles on social-networking websites such as MySpace.com.
The kids and the bad guys. The good news is, according to Rob Nickel, author of Staying Safe in a Wired World: A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety, children also are the best weapon against online predators and scammers.
“Just like today’s parents used to set the VCR for their parents, kids can teach their parents the different uses of the Net. They can explain file-sharing and peer-to-peer networks,” says Nickel, who spent seven years doing online undercover work for Ontario Provincial Police.
“The best thing to do is sit down with the kids and let them show you what’s going on. They’ll love to show off — just ask how to download a music file.”
It’s not realistic to ban the Internet or specific applications, such as instant messaging, he adds, not only because children will find their way around restrictions, but also because the web and even MySpace.com, which boasts more than 72 million members, have a lot of positive things to offer.
If libraries ban MySpace from their computers I can think of 5 ways of getting around that. I’m a 37-year-old parent of two. Which means my kids probably know of 10 ways around it. With all due respect to its supporters DOPA is a meaningless piece of legislation designed only to get the supporting politicians re-elected. The politicians behind it are only jumping on a hot topic. It reminds me a lot of the PMRC from the 80’s. Intended to protect the children but in the long rujn will only limit their choices. DOPA will not keep predators or your children offline. DOPA, if passed, will be nothing but a waste of taxpayer money.
Teach your children well, keep up with their activities as much as possible, and hope that they make the right choices.
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POSTED IN: Law
3 opinions for Delete DOPA
TheTrenchcoat Chronicles
Jul 4, 2006 at 6:15 pm
This week it is my unexpected pleasure to bring you this week’s World Cup free edition of The Carnival of The True Crime Blogs. (It’s not like it’s a national holiday here in The States or anything.)
Magnolia and Payned from South…
Katie Fairchild
Jul 4, 2006 at 10:21 pm
You make some very valid points on this. We need to as parents to stop blaming the Internet for all that goes wrong in our life and our childrens life. I wrote a blog on this myself. I hope you will read it.
http://yngathrrt.blogspot.com/2006/03/keeping-children-safe-via-internet.html
I think it will be an interesting read for you.
Katie
Rose DesRochers
Jul 7, 2006 at 11:23 pm
I respect your opinion Trench. However, children are not listening to their parents or the warnings.
The trouble too is parents cannot be with their children 24/7. Schools here in Canada are not supervising children on the net.
They are able to roam the net unsupervised.
Like anything peer pressure plays a huge role.
They are putting themselves in risking situations.
I believe that there must be some restrictions to keep our children safe.