January 17, 2006

Clear Channels

Harbor channel at the Canoe Launch. Hilo Yacht Harbor Big Island of Hawaii

I was looking at several news sites this morning (I have about 7 hours to kill at work these days, and I noticed the news trend and it really concerned me...

Teens' bold blogs spur warnings

There were two more stories along this line but when I went to get them for this post they had vanished into cyber twilight zone...

Im concerned that fear is trying to muzzle one of the best forms of free speech we still have in this society, Blogs and Blogging. It seems that the Education Thought Police now are restricting young people from blogging because of what they term as inappropriate content" As we all know what you and I might think is inappropriate content, to a teen ager is the thought of the moment, critical, and perhaps a part of their culture. Some of us are old enough to remember the negative responses our parents gave to our "inappropriate content" in our music, hairstyles and what we wrote in our hand written journals. Fortunately, I lived in a house that allowed me space and privacy, and were tolerant of my brothers long hair, our questionable taste in music, authors, and recreational activities, not to mention members of the opposite sex. Their goal and the goal of most parents I know is to just "get teens through the teen years alive..." And to keep those channels of communication open.

Which brings me to my point...Open channels of communication.

This quote for the article above rattled my cage

Many schools forbid the use of school computers for anything not school-related. But it is much harder to regulate what students do on home computers.

"We try . . . To say that the boundaries are on school grounds and within school time, but if there is a case that does tend to spill over and directly impact campus life, all of a sudden space and location, the geography of it, becomes less important,"

I can understand this regulation of schools computers and email addresses, but what the teen does at home, on his or her own computer, this computer use, especially blogging, email and the like, as long as he or she is not breaking the law, ie using email to bully, or commit a crime then may I ask, is that not protected speech, under the First Amendment? Is regulation of such activity a violation of the teens rights to free speech and privacy?

I have found blogging to be a really freeing form of self expression. I wished I had had this sort of vehicle for self expression when I was a teen. I wrote in a hand written journal, and still do, (began volume 37 this month) for as hard as my parent tried (as best they could I think considering all of their hang ups) There were things that I just couldn't share with them, that I couldn't share with anyone but I could write about it and it helped me to cope... Read my last post and you will know that I am still doing the same thing 30 years later! Writing is the best form of therapy for me and for many others I know as well.

So why are we restricting teens from blogging... "Because its risky, people with bad intentions could read it and use it against my kid" said a co-worker of mine. I am more concerned with restricting the free expression of young people who more than ever in this digital information over load age feel they need a voice and to be heard.

A word of caution perhaps is in order for the younger generation as well as each of us that blogs. Teens that use a school's email address risk a future college admissions person or employer "googling" them and seeing whatever they have posted because the students name is often the email address. Informing the student user that the internet is very public and anyone and we mean ANYONE can read this stuff they post is a must. Also teaching internet etiquette, and the perils of posting is better than banning the use of the blog altogether. This was true for the hand written journal in 1976 as it is now for the cyber journal of 2006, maybe more so as a website can be such a tool for evil as well as good.

When you make your life and "open book" you run the risk of exposure. I speak from experienceon this . Once, my journals were up for subpoena in a messy divorce involving a "boyfriend" of mine in my heathen days. They were fair game, and a blog is as well... My current employer asked if I were a blogger and when I said yes they asked that I never mention the firms name, the names of any other employees or the firms accounts. I agreed to that, and feel its fair. They want the company's privacy to be preserved and that is ok by me. If I have a gripe I will share it with them and not set up a blogsite to rant on like so many do.

Free speech issues not withstanding, I think we as adults need to be willing to risk a few blogs in poor taste, to restricting the free flow of information. Like damming up a stream, not allowing for free flow of water that keeps it clear and clean, the blocking of thought and speech muddies up the water of ideas and prevents a clear channel of communication from flowing. This is a risk for every American, but for our teens, in the throes of comming of age angst that is the greatest risk of all.