To regulate or not to regulate

When you want to stop people from doing something, there are usually two ways to go about it. You force them to stop, or you can convince them to stop. Both options have their merits. When it comes to HR 5319 and our most recent campaign to Save Our Social Networks (SOS), the debate gets pretty heated. Online predators are out there. We want novice internet users to be safe, but we also want them to use the medium to its full potential.

What do we do–stop young people from accessing parts of the internet in libraries and public schools, or simply talk to them about how they can be safe? Mobilize has been leading the debate on Essembly.com for weeks now.

I’d say most people tend to agree with the SOS stance: we don’t need to stop young people from getting on the internet, but we do need to tell young people how to protect themselves. It’s a problem that could easily be solved with a conversation or two, regulation overcompensates. Of course, there are a few people who don’t agree. Young people aren’t always supervised in libraries and public schools, and enter into situations that violate their safety without even knowing it.

When I first got my driver’s license, I stopped wearing a jacket. It was December, but I was literally outside for moments a day, and knew I didn’t need one. My parents were not happy about this, and told me they wouldn’t let me drive anymore unless I had a jacket in my hand. Needless to say, I never wore the jacket. And I never got sick, and the car never broke down, either. But I always had one.

I don’t think my parents ever entertained the notion of not letting me drive the car in winter, because that would have been impractical. They saw the bottom line a lot better than I did: sometimes you need a jacket "just in case." But that’s driving. My parents had been driving for decades before I got my license. With the internet, those tables turn.

Young people have been online almost as long as their parents have, and are more familiar with the social networking tools under debate. It’s not that we don’t need mom and dad to tell us how to keep ourselves save, but we have an opinion to share on this matter, and we know what we’re talking about it.

Social networking websites are used for good. To check out how, go to www.mobilize.org/SOS. You can write to your elected officials, tell your friends to, and help promote this campaign--all through the use of social networking websites. Should we restrict access to this type of technology in schools and libraries, when young people are most likely to take advantage? I don't think so, and I want to tell everyone I know.