Things to Know About Posting On the Internet

Dear young people:

Lately there have been a lot of predators online trying to lure young people, such as ourselves, to do unlawful things. Therefore, I’ve decided to create a blog explaining the precautions that you need to take on sites such as MySpace and facebook. The first thing you need to know is how to keep personal information to yourself (by not posting it on the internet). Posting personal information, such as, your full name, your birth date, and where you live can be fatal to your safety on the internet. An internet predator can easily track you down just by finding out those three little things. This is why you should take precautions when posting personal information on the internet. Remember anyone and everyone can see it!!!

Secondly, you should know how to be aware of sexual predators on the internet. Usually, a sexual predator might lure you in by asking things, such as where you live, or to meet him/her somewhere without parental supervision. Do not fall for this! If you encounter, or have encountered, a situation such as this you should tell a parent right away and have your parent contact the proper authorities. Even though it may seem as though it’s not a big deal, report it, because the slightest things could help catch a sexual predator.

Thirdly, do not post pictures of yourself or others on the computer that you wouldn’t want everyone to see. Your identity could also be stolen by a predator to seduce or trick people you know into thinking that it’s you. This is very dangerous and could end in a bad situation if you are not careful! Therefore, you should take precautions like having a privacy lock so certain information or pictures are not available to the public. This will prevent bad situations from occurring.

Next, your parents should always know what you are doing online. This is so they can decide what they think you should be allowed to be on and what you cannot. This would also prevent you from going on to sites that are filled with predators, so that you will be protected while online. And to prevent sites that they do not approve of being accessed, they could add parental controls.

Also, never give out any of your parent’s credit card information to a company that is advertising their products on MySpace or Facebook. So make sure to ask your parents permission before giving out any of their personal information. If this information is given out to the wrong person, then you and your family’s finances could be in trouble!

Lastly, you should know not to respond to pedophiles and online predators. To ignore online predators and pedophiles just simply say “no thank you,” or ignore them if they try to contact you. If this does not work, tell a parent so that your parent can file a report. This should stop the predator from coming after you any longer. If this does not work, then you should contact the police.

Sincerely,
Danielle H.

Teen pregnancy and Education by Danielle

Most pregnant teens feel that after they get pregnant they cannot finish their education. That’s not true! Pregnant teens have just as much of a chance to get a quality education as everyone else. Equality for everyone is one of the main foundations of America. Many teenagers drop out of high school at a young age because they feel pressured, but return to complete their GED (United States Department of Public Health). This should not be. There should be quality schools built especially for pregnant teens who still want to graduate from high school and further their education to college.

It would be best if these schools consisted of room and board for the teens to live with their children, especially if they are unable to afford living elsewhere. There should also be a place for the children to go while the mothers are at school. This will create a huge decrease in the dropout rate and keep young women who become pregnant well-grounded and educated, so that they will then be able to prepare a quality future for themselves and their children. In Illinois, 30% of all pregnancies were to teenagers. (United States Department of Public Health) Sadly that is a large number of teenagers who have a slim chance of receiving a good education.

Some programs have been developed that help pregnant teenagers, one of them is called PAGES. (Pregnant Adolescent Group for Education and Support). PAGES is a school-based program to reduce some of the problems associated with teenage pregnancy, such as lower levels of educational achievement, low birth weight infants, and increased potential for child abuse and neglect. More programs like PAGES, should be made all over the U.S and other countries. PAGES staff gives 21 presentations on topics that include labor and delivery, nutrition, infant bonding and stimulation, and early child care. PAGES was first iniated in North Chicago in 1982 with only 12 participants, but later spread across the U.S., providing guidance for young teens during their time of need. While some studies indicate that two- thirds of pregnant teens drop out of high school, PAGES school retention rate was 93%!!!(United States Department of Public Health)

Although, pregnancy is HUGE responsibility, education should always come first and PAGES helps young mothers get the educations that they deserve without the pressures of life weighing down on their shoulders.

Welcome To Danielle space

Hi this is Danielle and Welcome to MySpace! This is a blog about important issues in the U.S. Please enjoy and leave any comments or questions that you may have.