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The Washington Post has a story that is sure to send chills down the spines of parents around the country and feed the public panic about social networking sites.The study shows that 54% of teen social networking profiles contain information on risky behaviors about sex, substance abuse, and violence. The study highlights the risk posed to future careers by displaying this information publicly with the researchers expressing their surprise that teens are so open about behaviors that adults struggle to get them to talk about.
Hmmmmm. What’s at play here? My guess is that it’s more than just a generation gap. It’s the deeply conflicting norms in our culture around sex, substance abuse, and violence that is mirrored by young people on these sites. “Wait until marriage to have sex”, young people hear from the Government of a country where 95% of adults are sexually active before marriage. “Don’t drink” says the health teacher wearing his Raven’s jersey in anticipation of the NFL playoffs sponsored by the beer companies. “Violence is no solution” says the billboard on the way to the cinema showing the latest Hollywood blockbuster hit featuring non-stop blood and gore.
It’s easy to foster public panics around teens and social networking sites. Young people make easy scapegoats. Thankfully, the authors of the study mentioned above “get it”. They don’t recommend parents banning these sites for their kids. Rather, having a discussion about content. Smart approach. A respectful conversation might tease out the real issue—how young people can learn to navigate an American culture that has yet to reach a healthy place when it comes to sex and a whole lot of other issues.
