The Robida case I mentioned below is germinating discussions on all kinds of issues. Some people are noticing that Robida was active on MySpace.com, which has become very popular among teens. MySpace is sort of like blogs, but it’s also like instant messaging. In any case, it’s become a cesspool of juvenile postings and predators.
I went to Robida’s page on Sunday, before it was taken down. It was black with red type, full of anger and hatred and depictions of evil. The postings by his friends showcased the despair and nihilism endemic to a certain slice of a lost generation. Meanwhile the parents wring their hands and wonder how they can save their children from this stuff.
Here’s an idea: Take the computer, the telephone, and the television from your kids’ rooms. Then monitor what they’re doing on the Internet and the phone, what they’re watching on TV, what music they’re listening to, and what games they’re playing. Put limits on their access to same. It’s not impossible. My brother has six kids and manages to keep track of what they’re doing. Many of these people have just one kid. It’s a matter of priorities.
Why do kids end up this way? Parents can’t be blamed for everything, but surely they need to look at themselves.
I just met a single mom who “sorta” goes to Church. She sends her son to a Catholic grade school, has not bought him a tv, radio or any video gaming systems, in the summer she has a “play outside” mentality, (it’s a safe neighborhood) and she moved back across the state to be near family to help her raise him.
She was doing a service for me, so I tipped her extra. That kind of mother deserves extra bucks in my book.
I have a Myspace music page. It’s a good place to network for those of us who do Catholic music, but it’s also, as you say, a cesspool. Very trashy. I’m very careful about who I add as a friend to my page. There’s some crazies out there, as this poor case has shown.
Bullseye, Dom, parents need to start parenting their children, instead of trying to be ‘best friends’ with them.
I suppose on the day he turned 18 he turned into a homocidal sociopath. This has its roots further back than a few days ago.
And as long as he’s living in his parents’ house, he should be subject to certain scrutiny.