Social networking’s influence on our society is quite alarming. After all, even adults are unable to escape the grasp of the internet subculture (is it even sub until now?) and many find themselves unable to cope with the many apps, polls, and Tweets and more.
Children are also not safe from the grasp of the internet –or so many parents would want to think. But the fact of the matter is that parents are responsible for having the internet connection present in the household. They purchase, prepare and maintain any and all devices that are used to access the web. Simply put, adults in a household enable the children to the resources that are placed in the house.
Such is the truth behind children’s security on the internet.
But many still think that Facebook should be more responsible for all the reports of harassment, cyber bullying, stalking and worse that include the use of Facebook as a means for culprits to contact and lure their victims.
That is not the responsibility of Facebook. New users are already bombarded in the registration procedure with questions and privacy settings in order to help safeguard their accounts. The bottom line here is that the social network can only go so far to protect its’ young users (and according to the user registration, no minor can sign in without the consent of an adult), the real work is still on the shoulders of the parents.
Obviously, we cannot blame the parents of Ashleigh Hall, but at the same time, it is not Facebook’s fault either.
Some people think that many years from now; we would look at this case like the way the old Winchester family was blamed for deaths caused by the guns the manufactured. It is an interesting comparison, but Facebook is actually a tool meant to bridge people together, it should not be vilified at all.
Read more about Facebook and the panic button at the Times Online UK.
Tags: Facebook, online-safety, Social-networking