評論
打印
Instead of passing notes in class, teens are now sharing information on their Web logs, or blogs. A study showed that one in five teens in America has a blog, and about twice as many read them.
But some schools have prohibited (禁止) students from blogging on school computers. Other schools have tried to prohibit teens from keeping online journals even at home. But many teens say the journals are a great way to express their creativity. They maintain that a ban on blogging violates (違反) their right to free speech.
Blog critics say that kids don't know about online safety and that it's imperative (必須的) to place limitations on students. They shouldn't post private information about themself, and they don't have the right to post someone else's secrets.
Millions of people are online at any given time, and predators are plentiful, says Willard. Many students think only their friends read their blogs, but they're wrong, she points out. " Kids are going to argue that these blogs are part of their private lives. And that's the point: They aren't private at all.
Online bullying (暴力) of fellow students and threats made to teachers are also serious concerns. Bullying on the Internet contributes to emotional distress (痛苦) for kids. It can be extremely harmful, says Willard.
Some students say they use blogs to help express unspoken feelings. Others see blogs as places to keep in touch with friends. I can talk to people I don't see as often, because everyone is so busy, Apollo High School senior Ashley Boswell says.
Bloggers say that their private writing is an expression of free speech. "If it is not endangering another individual ... schools should have no control over it whatever," wrote a teen on the site.
