Part V. The Truth Revealed. Internet and Social Networking Facts

The Truth Revealed: Part V

Introduction

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V: Why Kids and Teens Need An Alternative To Social Networking Sites Created By Adults For Adults

To Protect Our Kids From Even Being Asked Questions They'd Typically NEVER be Asked, or Required to Answer;  To Protect Them from Losing Their Rapidly Departing Innocence and True Self; To Focus On The Positive Within Them

Together we can give our kids the time, the place, and the pleasure....to be their true selves...to freely be kids in a medium they thoroughly enjoy: social networking.

The social media sites that make the news these days are typically Facebook,  Facebook, and more Facebook .  And the press coverage interestingly enough on Facebook, focuses more on their new application, this, or privacy policy that, and sadly not on the cases that educate parents. Include for example, the tragic death of a teenage girl in London who met a registered sex offender according to the article on Facebook, then he killed her. Or, the registered sex offender that signed back up yet again from the States on Facebook, by not spelling his last name correctly. "Sex Offenders Still Sneaking Onto Facebook".  Sadly those are the typical stories we hear about MySpace.

 As I've shared in my series:  The Truth Revealed, Why Kids and Teens Need An Alternative To Social Networking Sites Created By Adults For Adults, in addition to these two social media sites, there are a whole host of other social networks  that aren't looking out for the safety and well being of our kids either.  While I certainly haven't covered all the social media sites in this series, the truth I've shared is overwhelming enough.  We parents need to be aware, educated and be talking to our kids. Helping them to make a better choice.  Understand, via the facts that I've shared, that these social networks are profiting by:

1.       Sexualizing our kids.

2.       Supporting the creation of child pornography.

3.       Supporting the creation of child prostitution.

4.       Exposing our kids to content (quizzes, questionnaires and applications), that if the computer wasn't involved, very rarely, if at all, would our kids be exposed to.

5.       Ignoring every dimension of our kids: their interest in sports, music, academics, going to college, fashion, art & photography, writing, performing arts, their school, their faith, their friends  and primarily applying a hyper-focus on one aspect of each child: their sexuality and the exploitation of it.

6.       Exploiting their privacy.

Allow me to introduce Brand E. Brand E if you checked your kids' browser history would seem innocent enough.  I thought so, too, until I started the sign up process.  As I found in other sites that I've reported on (Brand B) , (Brand C)  despite the fact that they market and "appear" to be just for teens, anyone, of any age can join. No one verifies your age. No one verifies your identity.  I remain a member in "Brand E", where I can search the site looking to interact with minors.

Sadly, another culture that singularly focuses on kids sexuality and desire for a relationship. Nothing  you'll note, about their interests in academics, theatre, science, sports, music, fashion, religion, art or their friends for example.

Other than online, where do we allow adults to search for minors to create a relationship with?  Supporting the "meeting" between the 21 year old adult member and the minor to have a relationship puts both in danger.

This 16 year old member not surprisingly only choose to post photos based on her libido, and to attract attention based on focusing on her body.

Sadly, this young teen has compromised herself. How sad for her, and how sad for us that we're allowing this to happen.

Another member who took the time to put the camera under her skirt, gets noticed by another female with the comment:  u r fuc_ing hot!

Next is a perfect example why Brand F should not allow minors on the site.  This young girl is clearly between the age of 9 and 12. Too young for the site.  Yet she's posted her age as 31.

While Brand F can't catch everything, isn't it possible to use technology and human oversight to match up: age, with "starting to ride the bus....school starts tomorrow", to reviewing the photo.  There is technology that can help.

In addition, Brand F monetizes itself with ads, clearly targeted at adults. "Are you single?  We generate 800,000 relationships a year.  You aren't going to meet anyone trolling bars or supermarkets so signup here!

Buying filtering software won't protect your kids from the culture, the content or the people that await our kids online in social media sites. 

The statistics that have come to life in this series, according to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and COSMOgirl.com, "Sex and Tech":

- 20% of teens overall have sent/posted nude or semi-nude pictures or video of themselves.

(11% of young teen girls 13 - 16)

- 39% of all teens have sent sexually suggestive messages (text, email, IM).

Although most teens and young adults who send sexually suggestive content are sending it to boyfriends/girlfriends, other say they are sending such material to those they want to hook up with or to someone they only know online.

- 15% of teens who have sent or posted nude/semi nude images of themselves say they have done so to someone they only knew online (and not in real life.)

Teens and young adults give many reasons for sending/posting sexually suggestive content.  Most say it is a "fun and flirtatious" activity. Why are they sending this sexually suggestive content?:

- 51% of teen girls say pressure from a guy is a reason; 18% of teen boys cited pressure from female counterparts

- 23% of teen boys and girls say they were pressured by friends.

- 44% of both teen girls and teen boys say they sent sexually suggestive messages or images in response to such content they received.

- 12% of teen girls felt "pressured to send sexually suggestive messages or images.

Our kids are good. They're talented, happy, kind, inspirational, bright, caring, funny, unique. They're our future.  They don't join social media sites thinking: 'let's present ourselves like prostitutes; or let's meet someone that will hurt us'. Of course not. They use social media sites to connect with their friends and create networks of friends.  Unfortunately, in social media sites created by adults for adults, all these negatives await them and are just a few clicks away.

As I've said before, please don't run and unplug your computer or eliminate internet access. Instead use your knowledge to spread the word and create positive change for our kids. We have to do this together. We need to protect our kids from the culture, content and people that we can't buy a software package to protect our children from.

If you missed the Introduction, Part I , Part II, PartIII, Part IV check them out.

I hope the facts that I have revealed in this series help you understand why I've committed myself, (including the entire Yoursphere.com team) to educating parents and other adults that care about our kids, and to provide a positive, safety-first alternative for our kids socially network in.  It's a simple matter of need and urgency.

Best. Mary Kay Hoal

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