Social Networking
- Brett Chmielewski
Social
Networking websites such as Myspace.com,
Facebook.com, and Xanga.com have changed the way we (particularly young
people)
communicate in today’s information society. If
you are not familiar with these sites, please take the
time to browse around them so that you will have a good frame of
reference for
class discussion. Go to www.myspace.com and www.facebook.com and attempt to
browse
around. If you want a better
starting point for Myspace, check out www.myspace.com/owen0019. These sites are some of the most
popular on the Internet, with millions of users. Why
are they so popular? At first glance, do
you think social networking sites
provide any value to society? If
you are a member of any of these sites, why are you?
Please put some thought into these questions, as they will
be discussed in class.
As seems to
be the case with any advance in
technology,
social networking sites can also be a danger, if used for the wrong
purpose. Please read the following
articles to get a sense of the dangers that have arisen from this new
form of
communication. Some of the content of these articles is disturbing, but
they
present an accurate depiction of the very real dangers that are created
when
social networking sites are used for the wrong reasons, and by the
wrong
people.
Amalie Nash, Pedophiles
troll MySpace; MySpace.com
a gold mine for child predators; J. Nicholas Hoover, Kids
Vs. Creeps:
Concerns Mount Over Online Child Predators.
The next
logical question becomes: what is the
best way to
protect children when it comes to social networking sites?
In an attempt to respond to
the growing problem, 39 House members co-cponsored HR 5319, “The Delete
Online Predators
Act” or
“DOPA”.
Please read
the
bill.
The Act requires public schools and libraries to block access to these
sites to
kids.
Do you have any issues with
the way the statute is worded?
In
your opinion, is it overbroad, under inclusive or just right?
Do you think this is the answer?
Please take some time to
watch
discussion about these
issues at http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/07112006hearing1974/hearing.htm.
In the highly unlikely event that you don’t want to take the time to
watch all
2 ½ hours of the video, please make a point to scroll ahead and
watch
the testimony of Chris Kelly of Facebook.com at approximately 1 hour
and 14
minutes into the video and of Beth Yoke of the ALA at approximately 1
hour and
31 minutes into the video. Does
this testimony affect your opinion about DOPA or the value of social
networking
sites in general?
Please read
the following article
by Anita Ramasastry. In Ms. Yoke’s testimony and in the
previous article, an argument was made about the “digital divide”. How serious of a concern should this
be
as it relates to social networking sites?
If DOPA isn’t the answer, what is?
Some people think that the sites themselves should be held
liable, see Lucy Sherriff, MySpace sued for
$30m after assault on 14-year-old.
Are the sites doing enough? Should they have to do anything? Is it simply the responsibility of
parents and teachers to educate kids about the dangers involved with
these
sites? Finally, check out these sites that the FTC has provided to help
educate
parents and kids about social networking sites and the dangers
involved. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec14.htm;
http://onguardonline.gov/socialnetworking.html;
and
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec13.htm. As always, please post a blog with
your
thoughts.