Something that worries me...

Bebi · Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 7:09 pm Post subject: Something that worries me...

I've been reading this closed thread on UM - http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=88615 - here are my thoughts.

I understand the reluctance to advise someone so young regarding spiritual matters on a forum, but nobody seems to have taken into account that suggesting they suffer from a mental illness might also cause problems. Most 11 year olds I know would go straight to a medical page and look it up, and we all know how impressionistic youngsters can be. I just don't see how saying "you might have schizophrenia" is any less dangerous in this respect than saying "you might have a haunting"...

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It is those who are perfectly sane who are driven the maddest by an insane world...

There is method behind my madness

FrankBlunt · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 7:25 am Post subject:

Whether the circumstances arise from external influences or undesirable byproducts of imagination, the labels are seldom helpful. Some doctors I met earlier this month admitted to being increasingly cautious lately in their diagnoses of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. I've mentioned her many times on UM, but one need only look to the woman who inspired the character on "Medium" to accept that there's more than meets the eye... and especially the "Shrink Kit" of outdated psychology volumes.

For laypeople on an internet forum to shout mental illness from the rooftops is borderline criminal, especially when a minor is involved.

The offense most worthy of condemnation relating to the thread in question is unsupervised internet access. It doesn't take a genius parent to realize that the family computer should be kept in a conspicuous location. One could install all the filters in the world, but smut is uploaded too quickly for such software to be 100% effective. Obviously, there is the additional threat of on-line predators.

In many ways, I'm glad the Internet wasn't conceived during my childhood. My 3 year old nephew knows how to navigate Windows with a mouse but can't tie his shoes. The parents of the 11 year old probably thought that the computer would enhance her education, but the laces of their disciplinary shoes are undoubtedly resulting in a tangled web of misguided and potentially dangerous advice.

Bebi · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:26 am Post subject:

I know exactly what you mean. My children are supervised at all times when on the net, not necessarily obviously, but there's always an adult in the same room in view of the monitor when they're on the pc. We've never made an issue of it, and they're perfectly happy with this arrangement. Not only does it prevent them from contact with people they shouldn't, it also enables us to work out what's gone wrong if the pc crashes.

Aged 4 my daughter put all my ex's Windows files into his recycle bin and hit "Empty" Smilie_PDT

It tickled me for months... When asked why she said "because it sounded nice" - fair enough for a 4 year old.

At the end of the day I'm of the same mind as you, the internet is a wonderful thing regarding education, but first we need to educate the kids in how to use it safely. Mine are aware of the dangers of speaking to strangers, so it's pretty easy to transfer that logic to the net. I'll allow them to chat to their granddad or uncle on my AIM, along with a couple of close friends I know well and trust. They enjoy the privelege of being able to do this, but also understand that the only reason they're allowed is because I know the people involved. If I ever say to them "no, not that person, let's try so-and-so" they agree and don't argue the point. They also ask first before using AIM, which I've told them to do. I'm not going to allow them access to chat rooms or forums until I've decided a- they're mature enough to do so and b- I'm still going to monitor what's going on. They have already been told this and are fine with it, for the moment Anthony is happy on Neopets (also with Parental Controls used - a lot of the features are disabled such as the boards and Neomail until the account holder reaches 13. The only way to get around this is to fax/post written parental agreement to the Neopets headquarters) and Ashleigh plays Neopets on Ant's account and Cbeebies (a children's website in the UK that runs alongside childrens programs) Between these two sites they haven't actually gone looking for anything else; both websites are very good for education. Ant is learning commerce by running a Neopets shop, I've explained to him the basics of supply and demand and he's getting along with it very well, selling out every few days.

_________________
It is those who are perfectly sane who are driven the maddest by an insane world...

There is method behind my madness