Should we spy on kids?
Here is one story that ran in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
As a parent, I understand the anxiety that these sites provoke. But I worry that police and parents may be taking kids' online statements too literally and overreact. It seems to me that a lot of their comments may be really 5% truth and 95% boasting and posturing--showing how "cool" and "worldly" they are. Also, can't kids have some "space" where they can just spout their outrageous, ridiculous, and yes, even deeply offensive thoughts, without parents and the authorities swooping in and investigating?
The current issue of Child magazine has a story about the whole issue of spying on kids; okay I put together the roundtable discussion that includes experts, a parent who spys, and a daughter who was molested and in retrospect could have used a more prying parent. But I do think it was illuminating and thought-provoking.
And it turns out timely too.
As my ten-year-old has begun venturing into that world of online chats--her favorite is a site about penguins, I think--I've been debating how closely to monitor and restrict her activity. I've set basic safety rules and told her that if I suspect she is violating them, then I may start snooping. But she's young and basically has this very strong superego, so I feel fairly confident it won't come to that. At least not now.
Stumble It!
posted by pam at 2:30 PM
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