Current Event Presentation

I did my current event presentation on an article that I found on CNN.com entitled Parent survey says that social networks don't protect kids' privacy. (CNN.com 10/10/10) This survey was conducted by a group named Common Sense Media, which is a private lobbying group made up of various people that say that their mission is to provide information to parents and caretakers about different media services since children spend so much time on them. Common Sense Media also gives ratings to movies, television, books, music and more recently, websites and mobile applications. How much influence they have on parents' decisions on what to purchase is varied, but the group seems to have mostly conservative views and are endorsed by many Christian organizations. Although this survey was sponsored by them, I found it to have interesting results.

The article said that 75 percent of the parents surveyed said that they rate social networks' privacy protections as negative. It also said that more than 90 percent of parents polled are concerned that their teens share too much information online. (CNN.com) When I asked the class whether they agreed with these findings, most who answered said yes. When I followed up with a question on whose responsibility it was to limit sharing online, social networks or the users themselves, most answered that it was the user's responsibility. I also asked, "How could/should social networks do more to protect privacy?" The class responded that if the business did not have a profit making reason to do it, the likelihood they would would be slim to none. Everyone agreed that it was always money that drove decision making in these companies, not the good of the consumer. If the good of the consumer happen to coincide with profit, then changes would be but otherwise, profit ruled. That belief is a very cynical one, though probably correct.

I don't see that how it would benefit the social networks to change what is a successful model without some great tragedy happening that turns public opinion against them. I used the example of Craig's List and the soliciting of sex that was initially tolerated until women were murdered after meeting the killer through a Craig's list ad. When it was discovered that Craig's list had a role in the crime, the company shut down the category of sex solicitation. Although they discontinued the category, sex still is available on the website; it is just more cleverly hidden and subtle. So I think if something terrible happened and Facebook was found to be a contributing player in a crime, then either the government would enforce new privacy policies or more likely Facebook and other social networks would be proactive in creating more stringent privacy policies. Until that tragedy happens, it will be the job of the parents of teens to do the policing, hard as that may be.