Generally speaking, I feel that it is not the websites that are dangerous , but the people who are using it are! I think we need to use the internet in a responsible manner and think of it as a means of communication and fun. It is only when there are deranged and bullying minds like that of Lori Drew that the net becomes an unsafe place.
We need to realise that this is one in a million case where there has been a crime connected with a kind of false feeling of safety that anonymity gives to a person.This is nothing less than a cowardly act committed by a mature woman who is herself a mother, knowing fully well that the girl Megan was a sensitive person and was easily disturbed. The whole debate about the safety of a internet user site hinges on this one episode, which is more an exception than a rule .The hue and the outcry it has raised across the country and elsewhere , amply proves the fact that such things are not common and such acts will be condemned in the strongest of terms.
I have 2 daughters who use the web site and have made many friends through the site and other sites of this nature as well. They have gained a lot of knowledge and information just by interacting with friends that they make online. It depends on being a little careful about not going too deep into things that are told to you.There are many youngsters these days using the net for various reasons, from plain entertainment to gaining knowledge and furthering their circle of friends.
I feel that one should use the net just as one would be doing in real life, instead of posing as someone else and giving false impressions about oneself. It is also very essential to deal with people with the same kind of basic respect that one would accord if one were dealing with them face to face in real life.
is nothing less than a cowardly act committed by a mature woman who is herself a mother, knowing fully well that the girl Megan was a sensitive person and was easily disturbed.The whole debate about the safety of a internet user site hinges on this one episode, which is more an exception than a rule .The hue and the outcry it has raised across the country and elsewhere ,amply proves the fact that such things are not common and such acts will be condemned in the strongest of terms.
Personally speaking, I have 2 daughters who use the web site (Myspace) and have made many friends through the site and other similar sites . They have gained a lot of knowledge and information just by interacting with friends that they make online. It depends on being a little careful about not going too deep into things that are told to you.There are many youngsters these days using the net for various reasons, from plain entertainment to gaining knowledge and furthering their circle of friends.
I feel that one should use the net just as one would be doing in real life, instead of posing as someone else and giving false impressions about oneself. It is also very essential to deal with people with the same kind of basic respect that one would accord if one were dealing with them face to face in real life.
I have been using the net for a number of years and made several friends through various forums where people with similar tastes come together. It is such a boon to be able to do this sitting within the comfort of your home. But for the internet and these internet sites, it would not have been possible for me to come across so many wonderful people, whom I have met over a period of time.The same is the case with my girls , who have interacted with some good friends who share similar likes on Myspace and met them in person. I think it is a very healthy trend if used in a mature and constructive manner and being open about things.
I definitely think that MySpace or any other site of this nature is safe for teenagers. All that is needed is more transparency in dealings. In fact MySpace has been very helpful in trying to pin down the charges against a person like Lori Dew, and now let us all hope that she gets what she deserve.
This should be a lesson to all those with wicked minds who are trying to take advantage of the vulnerable teenagers , some of who may become easy victims.
