And right on cue after that last post, here's another reason to be concerned about this recent trend of outing bad behaviour online, this time right here in Canada. Turns out some teens are mad at their teachers. Um, this is news? Apparently, yes.
We've discussed the issue of children under 13 years of age signing up for Facebook in a previous post. This article explores the pressure on those children to lie about their age in the first place.
We have spoken here of balance before, and this next story perfectly epitomizes the need for that very perspective. With children of all ages returning to school this week, many parents and experts have expressed anything from mild concern to full blown anxiety over children's alleged over-engagement with technology.
One of the themes that emerges next is the difference between public and private when it comes to sex and sexuality. Does this increasingly blurry boundary pose some hazards for young people? I'd say, yes, potentially. But I'd also say that making sex public can help to demystify it and make it a topic worthy of public discourse instead of hidden away as if it is something shameful. An antidote to the streak of prudishness in North American culture, perhaps.
Vancouver Sun review of Canadian documentary about youth sexting. Dangers of young love in the age of sexting. The entire documentary is online as well at the CBC site. **hat-tip to Cathie at Heartspeak…