Teens can indeed be the voice of reason. There's an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune that is essentially a transcript of a focus group where teens are talking about social networking. It's a great piece; the teens are able to articulate the realities of how they and their peers use the Internet to connect with each other. Some of the basic messages:
1. Don't ban your teen from using the Internet because they will just go over to a friend's house and use it there.
2. The media gives MySpace a bad reputation. Learn about what social networking is really about from the people who use it, not report on it.
3. Parent involvement is good as long as the parent and child can talk to each other about what is important to them.
Ryenn says it best:
"I think the Internet is safe unless you make it unsafe."
That about sums it up.
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