Teens Put Personal & Provacative Information Online
Teens Put Personal and Provacative Information Online Kyle Clark (Rochester, NY) 12/03/05 -- This week's Amber Alert has raised questions for many parents about just what is available to young people online, and how much of themselves they are able to put online for all the world to see. 13WHAM News took a look at some of the shocking stuff teens in Monroe County are putting on the web. There's Stephanie from Churchville-Chili and 16-year-old Karina from Brighton. Brandi is from Henrietta and Kelly goes to Mercy. They are ocal teens with their pictures available for all the world to see on the website MySpace.com. There's Tiffany from Rochester and another girl who didn't reveal her name, but showed pretty much everything else. We showed the website to Pam Weaver from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. "The internet's really become the playground for pedophiles, and what kids really have to understand is it's not just kids like themselves that are reading those online journals," she said. Some of the websites make it easy to find your friends. And easy for pedophiles to find kids. We typed in Pittsford and found 16-year-old Lauren in her bikini. Weaver says kids tend to think they're anonymous when they're online, no matter how much they divulge about their personal lives. "They do and say things that they wouldn't ordinarily do in their everyday life," she said. Then there's Will from Edison Tech. Yes, it's teenage boys too. Will offered up his school I.D. online as well as a more personal portrait. Weaver wants parents and kids to sit down and talk honestly about what happens online. "I think they just need to talk about those real life dangers that can occur," she said. She says parents shouldn't ban internet use at home because kids will just go online at school or at a friend's house. Instead, she suggests open discussions about what your teen is doing online. Keep a close eye and let your kids know you'll be watching what they do online. Ask them to show you what sites they visit. Weaver also says parents should talk with their kids about what information is and isn't all right to share on websites. And keep computers in open areas like family rooms. A computer behind a closed bedroom door is an invitation to break the rules. http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=769E5024-609C-469E-9267-7E948C63A4FC