Web Predators

The rise of social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace was a two-part story for many parents. Part one was excitement over how easy it is to connect with people. Part two was pure fear. There seemed to be an infinite pool of monsters waiting to pounce at the other end of our modems. At least, that’s what shows like To Catch a Predator and Law & Order: SVU seemed to suggest. Well, perhaps this post can serve as part three: truth and reconciliation. Considering that I write about my children online, using their real names and pictures to boot, I think I can say with some certainty that worry over Web predators has been a bit overblown. But don’t take my word for it. Earlier this year a task force created by 49 state attorneys general concluded the same thing.  It is still more dangerous to take your kid to the grocery store than it is to write about them online, or let them surf the Web. I think social media has actually done so much more good than bad in terms of bringing people together, especially in my online community where we write to connect with other people and to reflect on the absurdity of everyday life with the hope that the people who read it will find similarities in their own routine. We write to feel less alone, and this scary technology has made all of that possible.