Yet, more myspace
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Yet, more myspace
| Tue, 04-11-2006 - 9:55pm |
As if we haven't heard enough about this ridiculous web site.
Students recently posted a fake, very offensive myspace account under the name of a teacher.
http://www.startribune.com/142/story/362449.html
The last paragraph of the article is what prompted me to post this.
It has good points, and confirms my very minority viewpoint on kids with cell phones.
I did cave on the text messaging issue. (I asked about that on this board.)
It just irritates the hell out of me watching DD's thumbs flying every time I turn around. She is more disengaged now. Even our conversations are interrupted by the ever annoying text message alert.
Any practical ideas on how I can limit this? In the meantime, I'm waiting for the novelty to wear off...

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Yet one more reason to dislike MySpace.
My DH totally flipped a month or so ago when he opened our cell phone bill and saw the charges for texting. He promptly called the company and cancelled the text feature completely on everybody's phones.
DD's school friends were aghast -- how were they going to reach her? Duh. It's a telephone for Pete's sake! I don't think the novelty ever wears off.
If it's one dime over the generous amount built in, (and I have a feeling it will) I'll do the same.
DD will pitch a fit and argue that she can pay the difference. I don't care. If "unlimited incoming and 500 outgoing" per month isn't enough, there is a serious problem with the use of her time.
As much as I like technology, I hate cell phones. Ever see 14 businessmen in a conference whip phones off their belt and flip them open at the sound of a chirp? Makes me crazy and looks incredibly stupid. And the cute little song ring tones? Oh.. lol... I'm getting all worked up.. :-)
Well, I have yet to see 14 businessmen jump at the sound of their cellphones, but a year ago I took a Creative Writing course at our local community college and watched another student carry her cell phone into the bathroom stall with her and carry on with both her phone conversation and her bathroom business at the same time. I'm sure I wouldn't have like to been on the other end of that phone call.
I played Bunko this morning with a bunch of women old enough to be my mother -- seriously -- they all have children the same age as me or close to it. You would have been amazed at how many times their cell phones rang! Cracked me up.
Daddioe,
If you're in the minority on the cell phone thing, I'm right there with you. Dd doesn't have one yet. She started a "campaign" for one about three months ago - researching rates, etc. We told her to come to us with a plan and we'd discuss it. She hasn't and we haven't brought it up. There are times when it would be nice for her to have one and I'm sure she will ... but right now it's a "want" and not a need.
As to practical ways to limit her texting ... have you thought about having "no text zones"? Just like theater audiences are asked to turn off their phones (can you believe it is necessary to ask???) during a live performance, you could require that she turn her phone off during certain periods of time at home. Sort of like the Great American Smokeout goes Cellular,
Is she running up unreasonable bills? If so, I'd have her pay.
Thanks for the link about that article. Myspace is evil.
jt
daddioe,
Haven't read the other posts yet, but I told my teens that text messaging was too expensive. And I didn't want to pay the extra $ per month to have "unlimited" texts. I made it a financial issue - for a while ds16 was saying he'd like to pay the monthly fee for the unlimited texts - but he's always short on cash, and for now has dropped the issue. You may not be in a "belt tightening" mode as we are these days, but maybe you can make it somehow about the money...just an idea.
So far we've managed to avoid text messaging with our DD's (24 & 17). The 24 y/o doesn't have any interest in it at all but the 17 y/o has asked for it and offered to pay the extra for it. I told her I didn't think so b/c when she got on birth control pills, she and b/f were supposed to pay for 1/2 of that each month. She paid 1/2 maybe 3 months and then she quit. I didn't want to make a big deal out of that so I continued to pay. I pointed this out to her when she offered to pay for text messaging and she hasn't asked again. I expect her to ask when she leaves for college so I will tell her that she will have to give me the money for 1 year's worth in advance before I will agree to this.
Over the weekend two of her very good friends got into a text messaging war over a boy. Then they started calling her reading to her what the other one said. She and I were shopping so I kept getting interrupted by this. I finally told her to tell them to quit text messaging and sit down and talk this out face-to-face like the almost adults they are. She did. I don't know if they talked or not but they're over it all now. DD is beginning to realize that she can live w/o it.
I can tell you that the novelty does wear off (IMO, depending on the age of the kid) but with my 18dd it took a while. My 16dd only just recently got her phone back, so she is using it, though not much. H bought a package where she has *I think* 250 texts free each month in her plan. I got a plan for 18dd that has unlimited texts, which was good a year ago because she'd use all of them, but now we can change her plan because she rarely goes over 300/month. Come to think of it, when she goes off to college, she may need that lan after all. I will have to investigate.
The constant texting used to drive me mad, but we put limits on it and eventually she stopped doing it so much.
Technology can be great, but in cases like this, it's a big headache.
Got the first bill.
DD owes me $34.80 from going "over" 500 text messages.
Time to pull the plug.
Yeah, I know....MYSPACE - is an evil space. It seems to be a growing problem
with the fake sites. Some of the kids at my kids local school have found it
amazing to invent sites for the school officer and the principal. These sites
are spotlighting these two as gay lovers...etc. I have a friend who is the
local police chief and I have turned this into him. He was grateful for me turning
it in and he is investigating it. This is probably a senior prank. But it is
hurting those innocent.
I too am not thrilled with MYSPACE...
goodluck
Signlady
"We are Virginia Tech - we will Prevail"
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