Sunday, June 15, 2008

Social Networking for teens

I'll tell you, I wish we could back up. NOT have the internet for kids! In our case not have it available at TWrecks house because she doesn't give a rat's @$$ what these two do on their social networking sites. Both have one and we have set some rules up for them since the very beginning. Mystery has decided along the way that many of these rulse are not important and that she will just do as she pleases. Along the way here Daddy has gotten tired of me 'telling on them' and now allows her to run amuck in many respects. Today I find that BOTH of their pages have cussing on them and this is one area that their father just isn't having it. If they can't say those words in front of him, to him, then there is noplace for it in a public place online. That includes Jabber's private page because there are people that can see it. Period.

Tell me if I'm nuts would you? I've made a screenshot of Mystery's page which is public but I've removed names and blurred faces. These are kids after all, and not all mine. She is 16, not 17 and she does have her state listed but has adhered to the 'no city or zip' rule. I just know that she's going to say "I wasn't cussing, those are just words to a song! I thought I can put stuff like that in there!"


Yes she can, but not the cussing stuff! Heck, Glory is 20 yrs old and married and I still bother her if she puts dumb stuff on her page. I can't MAKE her take anything down, although I do have her passwords and could do it myself if I wanted to! Oh, and the only reason I have my page there is so that I can keep an eye on them and in touch with my young adult children and cousins. This is the medium that they use so you have to be there or lose out! So here's a bit of an inside look at Mystery. Don't let Sp0ngebob fool you!

Now here's the only part that I have a problem with Jabber's. Note that it's the layout that's cussing, not him. (Sure to be a point later.) Yesterday he had a Simps0n's layout that had something about shooting someone in the @$$ and I sent him a message that said that I suggest that he change the page before his father sees it. This is what he changed it to. Is he freakin' nuts? Is this a challenge?
And today is Father's Day. I sent him the message yesterday so that this would be behind us and not an issue today. I didn't send one to Mystery because she had something different in hers. I have to wonder if he told her about my message and that prompted a switch on her page. Hey, nobody like being told what to do and what not to do and to not have a choice in it but THEY ARE KIDS! Can you see that his page says age 16 now? It's supposed to say 14 even though he's 12 we've made an exception.
So, they think I won't say something? And if I don't then they're taking advantage of me. That I'm a sucker for a holiday. Yes, I am and I don't want to spoil it for Daddy, but the children that I gave birth to have never challenged me and then gone and done exactly WTF they please right in my face! I'll admit that they weren't/aren't absolute angels but they knew better than to get caught and NEVER to completely disregard me and disrespect me where it was right out there. Daddy called, he's on his way home and picking them up on the way. We'll see how this plays out. I would love to hear your impression of the pictures. Just click on them to go to full-size.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't like her page. Not at all.
It just doesn't sound like the kind of image you want your daughter (or step) projecting. Good for you being on MySpace-you are so right. You need to be adept at the mediums they use, so you can be aware. It's a good parental move.

Mimi said...

Thanks bsmommy! I have seriously had a feeling that I'm not too far offbase with this. I'm not sure how much good it is knowing what's there and being powerless to get changes made, but I have to choose one battle at a time?

And really, Jabber needs guidance and is still not a 'lost cause', so I don't feel like this is entirely wasted energy.

Stephanie Wilson she/her @babysteph said...

I am not sure if you have Comcast, but just tonight I watched a special OnDemand under "helps & services" - I think it was a PBS Frontline special that was VERY good- called "Growing Up Online" about teens and social networking. Very eye opening!

Steph