New York Times technology columnist David Pogue recently posted one of the best articles I have seen rationally discussing how dangerous is the Internet actually for children. I have posted an excerpt below, but the entire article should be read here.
“Sure, there are dangers. But they’re hugely overhyped by the media. The tales of pedophiles luring children out of their homes are like plane crashes: they happen extremely rarely, but when they do, they make headlines everywhere. The Internet is just another facet of socialization for the new generation; as always, common sense and a level head are the best safeguards.”
As a father of 3 children and CEO of social entertainment company Meez with millions of teenage users, I spend a lot of time looking at how young people use the Internet and drawing the line in the sand over different types of behavior, whether at home or at Meez. But I find myself constantly arguing with friends who are completely and irrationally convinced that stalkers are after their children, whether it's in the local park or on a PC. I recently even sat on a panel with a young social network CEO who repeatedly argued that the key differentiator for his service was that he had hired a former FBI profiler (Jodi Foster, maybe?) as a key part of his team.
I realize that fear-mongering is a way for certain companies or reporters to break through the clutter of every day news, and that some individuals will try to play up the risk in order to help their businesses, but it's nice to see the subject tackled in a rational way unlike most of the drivel I normally see around the topic.
This post was originally done on the blog Sharkjumping.
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