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author_by_nightEditors of People:
This is a letter regarding your article on the dangers of sites such as MySpace. While I feel it is definitely wise to alert parents of these ongoing problems, I find it saddening that your articles on the matter have never focused on the more positive aspects of online interaction.
As a teenager, I went to blogs and websites with some frequency. Although I was never raped or murdered by a stalker, I found friends my high school did not offer, friends who were a lot like me.
Furthermore, several wonderful things have some out of online friendship and interaction. In 2004, a girl I was familiar with through a writing community told some friends she was going to kill herself. Her friends called her home number, told her parents, and got the girl help. Had it not been for them, there is almost no chance that she would be alive today.
Another example is when a girl, Katie, died at another writing community, FictionAlley. FA took action immediately: they created a scholarship fund in her name.
A final case is at a webste I attend. A member used the site as an outlet against her abusive husband. She also was able to find the strength to get help partially through our encouragement. The site itself was, in fact, created by another abuse victim.
The internet "is not for porn", as a song imples, nor is it all pedophiles. As I said, it is, of course, necessary to tell parents (and teens) about the dark side. However, why not focus on the more numerous stories of love, inspiration, and strength?
Please keep the other side in mind.
Sincerely,
A reader of People Magazine
What do you guys think? My only concern in sending it is that a lot of my family reads People, and I'm worried some of them would recognize my writing. Not that I tihnk they'd mind, just... dunno. It'd be weird.
Not that I even think it would necessarily get in. But still - should I send it?
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Date: 2006-06-20 02:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-20 03:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-20 02:58 am (UTC)As for the concern - I once sent an email into a magazine about a sex show host, of all things, and it got published, and my cousin recognised it *facepalms* Which was odd for me, to say the least, but I survived. ;)
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Date: 2006-06-20 03:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-20 02:59 am (UTC)(and I ♥ Avenue Q)
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Date: 2006-06-20 03:23 am (UTC)The cast recording is fabulous. So very funny. :)
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Date: 2006-06-20 05:35 am (UTC)But the reality is, in J-school we were taught: "a dog biting a man is not news; a man biting a dog is." So I doubt there'll be much report on the positive use of the Internet in the media (unless it's how someone make millions off Ebay or investing). It's just not sensational enough, as much as it irks me to say this. It might make a good human interest story for the local nightly news, but nothing sells magazines like articles that generate paranoia. And Internet stalkers and questionable online networking behaviors are unfortunately going to be prioritized over the good stuff.
Sigh, media culture. Hopefully they'll publish your letter!
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Date: 2006-06-20 03:25 pm (UTC)Who knows, maybe they'll do a piece on the postitive sides.
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Date: 2006-06-20 03:50 pm (UTC)