Proposed U.S legislation to restrict MySpace access

In relation to the lecture where MySpace use and implications of the site were discussed, I read an interesting article (link to it provided below) discussing the new bill in the U.S thats been proposed that will require all schools and libraries that receive federal funds to restrict access to digital tools and online comminities such as MySpace.

One point raised in the article was that teens and adults have different ideas about privacy. Teens are much more willing to share private info and are naive about the dangers that this can lead to. Young users are unlikely to use the option to put a restriction on who sees their profile.

The article also mentions that MySpace allows teens to participate in identity and development and cultural integration as they can contact a vast number of peers. On this site, young people feel they can be themselves and also make sure they are up to date on everything going on in their network.

The aricle talks about this social networking preparing young people for the same kind of networking that takes place in the professional sphere, such as learning to extend their contacts.

In addressing a question of whether new media have change the nature of play, the article says how many parents think that the internet has given them a loss of control in terms of what their kids are doing behind their back, but really because their kids activities are digitized, they come into public view, giving parents more control.

I thought this article had some interesting points about the issues surrounding the use of such sites as MySpace by young people, that it such sites can be a postive tool for teens, and that while there are safety issues, parents and teachers have more control than they think.