to catch a predator...

In media class we watched a video on the effects the internet has had on my generation. I thought this video spoke some serious truths about what goes on in the lives of my peers, online and offline. I agree that many of my friends as well as myself use social networking sites as a means to express ourselves to the fullest. The internet is non-confrontational which makes it so ideal for being yourself, since no one is there to point and laugh if they don't like who you are. Many use the internet as an alternate identity that normally they wouldn't feel comfortable living in real life. This can be dangerous for a few reasons. Teens my age spends hours upon hours of their time on the internet. Whether its meeting new people, messaging friends, or updating your profile, it is allotted a pretty large portion of their day. Many feel a connection through social networking that otherwise couldn't be obtained such as those who are friends online and talk online but never in real life. Some post risque pictures and attract people that they did not intend to. The dangerous thing is, that there is no way to know IF these people are dangerous or not. That's all I got. I got dial-up so one can imagine I don't spend much time online.