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On tonights 10:00 news, Channel 4 Milwaukee, they did a story about a web site buddypic.com. It is just a predators database. It made me disgusted that these young teens have such an opening for being exploited. Very sad commentary / reflection of todays teen world. Parents need to constantly monitor computer usage.
 
people have to monitor their kids internet habits all the time, check the history, set the time limits, put the computer in a central place where it is visible to everyone.
 
I've been on the internet for eight or nine years, and have had my connection in my room for at least six of those years -- possibly seven. My parents did little to no monitoring of my internet use, same way with the rest of my life. It was simply the way I was raised -- I was left to my own devices about pretty much everything to sink or swim as I liked. I was even permitted to quit school at 13. This laissez-faire parenting had mixed results with me. I certainly had an unconventional adolescence anyway.

I don't know if I was very sensible or very lucky or if most kids are like me: I met lots of people, including many men much older than me, and made lots of friends, and was propositioned lots of times, but I never got into any sort of trouble. Bear in mind that the vast majority of teenagers online do not get kidnapped/lured away by sexual predators because of their internet contacts. You only hear about the ones that do.

Worst things that ever happened to me were the above-mentioned propositions. Oh, and a guy gave me his credit card number for my own personal use, but that wasn't a bad thing -- he had no bad intentions in mind and was only trying to be kind. I never told my parents about that though. God only knows what they thought of all the stuff that kept arriving for me in the mail, which I had ordered online through my friend's credit card. I spent like $750 and he paid for it all without complaint.
 
meggilyweggily said:
God only knows what they thought of all the stuff that kept arriving for me in the mail, which I had ordered online through my friend's credit card. I spent like $750 and he paid for it all without complaint.

Do you have his email address ? I've been looking for a sugar daddy. He sounds just like what I'm looking for. :laugh:

I'm just kidding. I'm glad you were smart and handled yourself accordingly. Kids with strong heads often become very independent people when left to fend for themselves. It's the kids without strong heads that get lured away. Naivety...

:cool:
 
meggilyweggily said:
I've been on the internet for eight or nine years, and have had my connection in my room for at least six of those years -- possibly seven. My parents did little to no monitoring of my internet use, same way with the rest of my life. It was simply the way I was raised -- I was left to my own devices about pretty much everything to sink or swim as I liked. I was even permitted to quit school at 13. This laissez-faire parenting had mixed results with me. I certainly had an unconventional adolescence anyway.

I don't know if I was very sensible or very lucky or if most kids are like me: I met lots of people, including many men much older than me, and made lots of friends, and was propositioned lots of times, but I never got into any sort of trouble. Bear in mind that the vast majority of teenagers online do not get kidnapped/lured away by sexual predators because of their internet contacts. You only hear about the ones that do.

Worst things that ever happened to me were the above-mentioned propositions. Oh, and a guy gave me his credit card number for my own personal use, but that wasn't a bad thing -- he had no bad intentions in mind and was only trying to be kind. I never told my parents about that though. God only knows what they thought of all the stuff that kept arriving for me in the mail, which I had ordered online through my friend's credit card. I spent like $750 and he paid for it all without complaint.

It sounds to me like you got very lucky! When he got the bills for your spending spree, he also got your address! Most people don't give something for nothing.
Anyway, tell us more. You were able to quit school at 13? How did you manage that? Did you ever go back to school? What do you do now? How is life for you now?
 
Oh, he had my address already. I'd mailed him some books as a Christmas gift. But as he was living on a Navy base in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a seven-hour plane ride from the closest place of civilization (Singapore), I felt pretty secure. We're still friends, although we've never met in person. He told me to stop using his credit card after he was discharged from the Navy and was without income, and I've since forgotten the number.

I quit school when I was 13, at the end of eighth grade, because I was having a great deal of problems with my fellow students (I was stabbed once, deliberately, I kid you not) and the administration was refusing to do anything about it. I told my parents that if they did not let me leave school, I would kill myself. They said fine. I sort of took a year off, mainly lounged around reading books -- I can educate myself pretty well, I never learned a whole lot at my school. Then when I was 14, what would have been tenth grade, I started taking classes at the local branch of the state university. They have a program for adolescents to take classes and get credits and stuff like any other student, and as my dad works there, he got me in. (I was qualified, but he got me in anyway -- you know how that is.) Now I'm a senior in college at 19 because of the credits I accumulated in high school.

Socially, I'm pretty backward. I obviously didn't get along with the junior high kids and the college students were a bit bewildered and intimidated by this child in their midst. I can speak very well with adults, though, as I've been around them so much. I met my boyfriend at the university when I was 16 and we're still going out, over three years later. (My parents were NOT happy about the age difference -- eleven years -- but like I said, they really didn't have much control over me.)

I wouldn't recommend this life to everyone. And looking back, it was pretty unwise of me to spend that guy's money, even though I trusted him. Like you said, people always want something. Well, usually. He didn't, but I only got lucky. Nonetheless, I wouldn't want to go back and change things for myself if I could -- I like the way I've turned out.
 
Well, it certainly sounds as though you are doing well for yourself. So maybe your parents knew what they were doing after all, as it sounds like you did what was best for yourself. I commend you for continuing with your education. I know that couldn't have been easy. I am glad you are doing well. And I hope you continue doing good. You are a strong woman, not many kids would have done as well.
 
Meg, I am glad you turned your life around. I have been to your website, and knowing now that you are only 19, I am blown away. What got you into project Charley?
 
I'm not really sure they did know what they were doing. I was the seventh child in the family and I think they simply didn't care anymore. A lot of my childhood could be construed as neglect -- for instance, I was assumed to provision myself and cook for myself and I really didn't know how, so I often simply went hungry. There were a few times when the dog's food started to look awfully good. I actually had a few minor health problems as the result of dietary deficiencies, which mostly cleared up after I began eating over at my boyfriend's house a lot.

All the same, I don't know that I would trade any of my experiences, awful as some of them were. All of them managed to shape me into the person I am and I mostly like who I am. Still, my children, whenever I have them, are not going to be raised the way I was. I think it was in good part through sheer dumb luck that I haven't been badly damaged.

Not sure how I got into the missing persons world. I was just randomly surfing the internet and I came across the NCMEC website and got pretty hooked. Then Jennifer Marra of the old MPCCN and I became friends and she asked me to take it over and the rest is history.
 
My son started wanting a computer when he was in Kindergarten. He was drawn to them from infancy, almost. He got his first one when he was 8. I worked 12 hour shifts, and my retired parents took care of him. I am 99% certain that they didn't pay any attention to what he was doing online.
He had AOL for many years, and I consider it to be haven for Pedophiles.

Did he ever come in contact online with dangerous things or people? I don't know. I can tell you that now that he is a senior in college, he is extremely intelligent but has little interaction with people.

He was a very sociable child, but his " world" of computer life changed him drastically. I wish I could have monitored his usage, but someone had to make a living. Hindsight being 20/20, I would have insisted that his online time was restricted and monitored until he was at least 16.
There are worse things, but I wanted to share my experience, which is that too much computer life is not good for either boys or girls. It may make them smarter in some ways, but it does not enhance their social skills.
 
My children (ages 15, 13, 10 and 9) use the internet, but I monitor what they look at and I keep an eye on the amount of time they're online. The computer is in the dining room- they will NEVER have one in their rooms. So far I've been very fortunate because they could care less about chat rooms. It just takes paying attention to what they do.
 
meggilyweggily said:
Speak of the devil. My friend I mentioned who lent me his credit card has just offered the use of his debit card.
So are you going to use it??? LOL....
 

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