This story really shocked me, although I don't suppose it should come as any surprise. It's just another incident that validates my continued uneasiness about My Space and sites like it.Click here for the full story, but the essence of it is, a 13-year-0ld girl committed suicide after being dissed online, publicly, by a boy she liked. The real heck of it is that the "boy" not only didn't really exist, but was "created" by an adult neighbor who wanted to know what the girl was saying online about her own child. Follow that?
This incident took place about a half hour from my own home, and just a few days after my newly-12-year-old daughter came home broaching the subject of having a My Space page of her own, at the suggestion of some of her seventh grade friends.
Not going to happen.
Anyone else have experience with their own kids and My Space? What do you think?
2 comments:
Hi Angie. I read about this story the other day too. Such a pathetic tragedy. Pathetic on the part of the adult neighbors. It's so wrong on so many levels one doesn't know where to begin.
I agree. No My Space for the girl. Not now. You have to let the dust settle after this grief.
Maybe she could make a personal scrapbook, then scan the pages one day when she "grows up" a bit. Is that too corny?
What about a digital family homepage where mom has the only password? At least she would be learning about technology, and careful one has to be.
My son appeared on MySpace because his friends posted their music. We made sure there were no faces or names.
They say to google your kid's name from time to time, to see what shows up. Someone else could post her name and picture.
What a tragic story. I didn't know about it -- but glad you brought it to our attention. The price we pay for our technology.
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