"Ugh, I Can't Get Into Facebook.."

"I Know This Proxy Site..."

In class when we talked about internet filtering instantly my own memories of it came to mind. Freshmen year in high school I could remember Google-ing different proxy sites desperately trying to find a way to get into Facebook and gaming websites. I can recall these memories up until junior year of high school. After that I can’t recall having trouble trying to get into any site that I wanted while at school. I don’t know if my school didn’t have these internet filters up, or if they just stopped filtering out the sites that kids my age commonly used.

Since I had my own experiences with and without these pesky internet filters I have gotten a chance to see how it has affected me both ways. I know that these filters are used to keep bad material away from us, and I see the purpose there. School is the one place that kids are constantly with their peers. Peers that can easily influence someone to see or do something that they normally wouldn’t see or do at home. So I can understand why those things would need to be blocked while at school.

I don’t get though, why sites like Facebook or gaming sites are blocked. Honestly, I think I spent more time trying to break through the filter than I actually spent on the website after I cracked it. Being told you can’t do something just makes that something more desirable. I feel like, in this case, that what the filters are doing. They are making that content that more desirable to the people they are blocking it from.

Status Update: You're In Third Grade

The question was asked, “Does it bother you that people make profile for their pets on Facebook?” My initial thought was yes, how annoying. But, after checking my own friends list and finding out that I am in fact friends with four animals, I must be mistaken. This made me think, why am I friends with pets? I think it is just one of the many things I have gotten use to on Facebook.

Is it normal that someone would make another Facebook account just for their pet? No. Is it normal for a 9 year old to have a facebook? No. Is it normal to know everything someone is doing in their day to day life in real time? No. BUT we are just use to it.

It doesnt really shock me to see someone so young on Facebook anymore. I see it all the time. I work with second and third graders who have thier own I Pads and I Phones. I didn't have an I Phone till 4 months ago... Younger and younger kids are starting to feel the need to "grow up" and be like the older kids. They want to text, they want to talk on the phone, and they want to have a Facebook.

 Do I think they should have one? No way. But what is stopping them? Parents don’t want their kid to be the outcast. “But everyone else has one mom” can be just the right amount of guilt trip a kid needs to get their parent to give in. If the parents aren’t stopping the activity what else is? Facebook? Oh, sure they are! Only a computer technician would be smart enough to put up a fake birthday…

 Who are we kidding? That’s not stopping anyone. Even YouTube says “this video contains mature content, please verify you are over 18 by clicking yes.” Well, that will prevent anyone under 18 from watching that video for sure.

In order to get underage users from using social networking sites like Facebook, something needs to be done to actually prevent them from joining one.

Big Brother Is Watching...

And Big Sister...
And Big World Wide Audience....

In class we talked briefly about crazy reality TV junkies like the “Survivor Sucks” group. Other groups about reality shows like “The Bachelor” were also mentioned by classmates.  This got me thinking about the inner reality TV junkie inside myself and in other young people in my generation. I know I am not the only one who gets sucked in. It seems like every year the amount of reality TV series doubles. The ideas blow my mind.

Live in a house together for a summer and film it. Live in a house together and film it AND compete against one another. Live in a house together and film it and compete against one another AND let anyone watch you in real-time 24/7. Say what?

The idea seems totally creepy. Why would someone want to watch every move someone makes? Why is this entertaining to us? Yet, these are some of the most successful ongoing series on TV. Even I get sucked into shows like “Big Brother” the whole summer. And, although it is hard to admit, I’ve even got sucked into watching the real-time cameras online before…

I think we are becoming a generation of people without boundaries. We give up all personal space for the sake of fame and entertainment. The idea of a camera crew following me around during my day to day life seems so bizarre, yet I watch it all week long. Maybe this is why we have become so incline to share personal things about our lives on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

When you watch people share secrets, have fights, get married, get divorced, have sex, and have babies on national television, what really is personal anymore?