|
Marje and Doug were featured guests again on the Jordan Rich show on WBZ Radio, 1030 AM on March 23rd to speak about the YouTube phenomenon. It is one of the most popular places that kids of all ages go to when they are looking for attention. A portion of the broadcast is available via Jordan's web site. The difficulty for parents and schools is not just the exposure to inappropriate content for our children, but the fact that children and teens are posting videos of themselves without parental consent or knowledge. While some of these are creative examples of self-expression, many are inappropriate or embarrassing at best and pornographic and documenting criminal behavior at worst. One mother who contacted us recently was surprised to learn that her 11-year old daughter had begun creating VLogs (video logs) of her after-school life and posting them on YouTube. She created 60 in all, and some attracted comments from pedophiles. On YouTube, children and teens have discovered a world that is alluring because of the attention it brings them. It is a world without parental supervision or rules for behavior. There are no boundaries and they clearly know this. Parents know that kids' behavior is best when they know there are expectations for them and that they are being monitored by adults who care about them. Also, many children are simply too young to understand the negative consequences or implications of their behavior. |