The online restrictions trying to help prevent children from looking at inappropriate material on the internet has been the subject of controversy for some time. Whenever I see a screen that asks me to type in my date of birth so I can access a site, I begin to laugh. There is nothing to stop a minor from typing in a fake birthday so they can access information. This kind of restriction is an absolute joke.
Other restrictions, like asking for personal information (i.e. info. from your i.d., social security, address, etc.) is also a joke. You can fake this information, but if the site actually checks a person's i.d. or social security number, then people are going to be very weary of going on to those sites; people do not want to give out their personal information on the internet for obvious privacy and safety reasons.
I remember watching television a couple of years ago and I saw an advertisement for the V-Chip. The V-chip allows parents to block programming on their televisions that they don’t want their children to watch. Television programs are now given a rating according to a system established by the television broadcast industry. The rating is encoded with the program before it comes on the air. Using the remote control, parents can program the chip to block shows with ratings indicating that the program content may be inappropriate for children.
A V-Chip for the internet would be a great way to shield our youth from the disturbing content normally found in it. In fact, today there is internet filters that act as V-Chips. Internet filters are configurable software programs that will block access to certain websites. A client filter is setup on your computer, and blocks that computer from loading certain web pages. These filters work in another way as well: server filter is implemented by your internet service provider (ISP) and can be configured to block web sites on the server’s end, before they even get to your computer. Programs such as Net Nanny, Cyber Patrol, and K9 Web Protection are examples of internet filter software programs.
In the end, it all comes down to one thing: parenting. Like I said in an earlier blog about the Korean boy who was addicted to online gaming, it is the parent's responsibility to protect their kids from corrupt and inappropriate things. Every kid is as curious as a cat; they want to absorb as much information as possible. But during their childhood, the fear lies in retaining all of that garbage. If a robber comes into your house and tries to take your kid, you'll obviously protect them. So if some wierdo is trying to steal information from your kid or some website is trying to expose questionable material, PROTECT your kids.
When they are old enough and mature enough to handle those types of things, then they can do whatever they want. But until that time, let's take care of our children. And it starts with initiative, like acquiring the necessary software to block bad content. We now live in the age of the internet; teaching our kids about it and protecting them from it should be a primary priority because the internet isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Second Life
Second Life is a a user-created, 3D virtual world community where anyone can go on and create another life for themselves. I guess that proves there is multiple universes after all; only this universe isn't found in reality. In this world, there are infinite possibilities and you can live a life without boundaries, guided only by your imagination. Do what you love, with the people you love, from anywhere in the world. You can customize your own avatar however you want. Height, weight, gender, race, clothing, hair - really anything can be customized. You can change your avatar whenever you want. In other words, if you hate yourself, feel free to run away from the real world and live in this fantasy land.
This universe is always expanding and changing; people can make buildings, create cities, meet new people, etc. Travel isn't a problem either. You can spread your arms and fly anywhere you want, or just take conventional transportation and use airplanes or cars. Some cities are mirror images of real life cities (such as Tokyo) while other cities are complete creations of someone's ideas. Communication is unique as well; you can IM or voice chat with anyone on Second Life at any time. Group forming is also a common occurrence; people can gather anywhere and create clubs, therapy sessions, universities, etc. Second life even has it's own currency: linden dollars, which are very easy to obtain. These linden dollars can be used to buy anything in this virtual universe.
Believe it or not, you can even have a job, build your own house, and even start relationships. But Second Life isn't limited to individualism; you can even collaborate with other people to make anything you want. Businesses like IBM and Dell have placed their faith in Second Life, promoting their companies by using it as an outlet to reach out to potential clients. Even MIT and Notre Dame have utilized Second Life for educational purposes; the universities have their own setup in second life.
Second Life does seem like a dream world where all of your fantasies can come true; however, I think the creation of this virtual world is detrimental to developing social skills, business skills, and life skills in the real world. No matter how realistic this world looks, it isn't real; it is a simulation. No matter how successful you can become in this world, it doesn't correlate to the real world. I think it's great that people can use their imagination and create whatever they want and be whoever they desire, but this virtual world seems extremely flawed. I could easily see this site or other sites like Second Life becoming so huge in the next few years that people will start to spend more time in the virtual reality world then in the real world. My fear is that people will wake up, go immediately into their online world for the rest of the day, and then fall asleep and wake up the next day, only to do the same thing. This virtual world is a breeding ground for obsession and addiction.
Like I said, I'm all for individuality and collaboration and public forming groups and creativity, which Second Life promotes very well, but my problem is with the impact it will have on the real world. Younger generations that are introduced to these kind of sites will struggle adapting to the real world if they are brought up in this Second Life virtual reality. There is no concept of moderation or reality within Second Life; you can be as lavish as you want or look like anybody. I really hope this isn't going to be the future, because if it is, I fear that 7 billion people will stay in their homes all day, everyday, and live in this made up reality. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'd rather see the great pyramids of Egypt in person rather than in a dream world. I'd rather go out and meet people and physically see them than walking around talking to people on an online world where I have no idea what they look like or who they are. And I'd rather start and sustain a relationship in reality rather than in a virtual world because let's face it, you can't simulate true love. That can only be found in reality.
I suggest looking at this site and draw your own conclusions. Maybe you'll have a different opinion. But I can assure you, there isn't a shot in hell you'll ever see me on something like this. I prefer reality.
http://secondlife.com/?v=1.1
This universe is always expanding and changing; people can make buildings, create cities, meet new people, etc. Travel isn't a problem either. You can spread your arms and fly anywhere you want, or just take conventional transportation and use airplanes or cars. Some cities are mirror images of real life cities (such as Tokyo) while other cities are complete creations of someone's ideas. Communication is unique as well; you can IM or voice chat with anyone on Second Life at any time. Group forming is also a common occurrence; people can gather anywhere and create clubs, therapy sessions, universities, etc. Second life even has it's own currency: linden dollars, which are very easy to obtain. These linden dollars can be used to buy anything in this virtual universe.
Believe it or not, you can even have a job, build your own house, and even start relationships. But Second Life isn't limited to individualism; you can even collaborate with other people to make anything you want. Businesses like IBM and Dell have placed their faith in Second Life, promoting their companies by using it as an outlet to reach out to potential clients. Even MIT and Notre Dame have utilized Second Life for educational purposes; the universities have their own setup in second life.
Second Life does seem like a dream world where all of your fantasies can come true; however, I think the creation of this virtual world is detrimental to developing social skills, business skills, and life skills in the real world. No matter how realistic this world looks, it isn't real; it is a simulation. No matter how successful you can become in this world, it doesn't correlate to the real world. I think it's great that people can use their imagination and create whatever they want and be whoever they desire, but this virtual world seems extremely flawed. I could easily see this site or other sites like Second Life becoming so huge in the next few years that people will start to spend more time in the virtual reality world then in the real world. My fear is that people will wake up, go immediately into their online world for the rest of the day, and then fall asleep and wake up the next day, only to do the same thing. This virtual world is a breeding ground for obsession and addiction.
Like I said, I'm all for individuality and collaboration and public forming groups and creativity, which Second Life promotes very well, but my problem is with the impact it will have on the real world. Younger generations that are introduced to these kind of sites will struggle adapting to the real world if they are brought up in this Second Life virtual reality. There is no concept of moderation or reality within Second Life; you can be as lavish as you want or look like anybody. I really hope this isn't going to be the future, because if it is, I fear that 7 billion people will stay in their homes all day, everyday, and live in this made up reality. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'd rather see the great pyramids of Egypt in person rather than in a dream world. I'd rather go out and meet people and physically see them than walking around talking to people on an online world where I have no idea what they look like or who they are. And I'd rather start and sustain a relationship in reality rather than in a virtual world because let's face it, you can't simulate true love. That can only be found in reality.
I suggest looking at this site and draw your own conclusions. Maybe you'll have a different opinion. But I can assure you, there isn't a shot in hell you'll ever see me on something like this. I prefer reality.
http://secondlife.com/?v=1.1
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