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Our Teens a Running Wild.

The problem is not new, nor should it be fodder for gossip. Today's teens are simply running wild. They are greater risk takers, more sexually active and overly informed than any teenage population that came before. From MTV pimping over the top Sweet Sixteen celebrations, as voyeuristic glances into the tiny percentage of the population that can afford to have Usher at their parties. To "reality dating" shows modeling behaviors that are breeding at risk teens and young adults, by promoting excessive drinking and providing hot tubs as an option for each date. The media and the freely accessibile internet access colludes with the corruption of our teenage children. Yet, it is as if we forget that the main responsibility for what our teens do falls squarely on parents for no other influence is as great and as important as that of family.

Web 2.0 and "social networking" are a much more effective means of communication utilized feverishly by adolescents. Advancements such as video chats, give adolescent the more private forum to "explore" with various behaviors and cultures, alternate lifestyles and some really out there "freakish" things we as adults can't even grasp. There are now translators for the slang used by kids to "text message" one another. Yes the illiterate language devised to further stunt any thinking that might be needed to right in full sentences. Do we want our kids paralyzed by gadgets? Do we want our kids informed by those that have the freedom to express absolutely any view they wish and with pictures and video to make it more entertaining, such as the site The Church of Euthanasia.

As a teacher and writer I use the internet to a almost embarrasing degree for both information gathering and inspiration for my writing efforts. I Googled euthanasia for a student who was assigned the topic as a final paper in her English class. This essay was to be a persuasive argument for or against the controversial practice. About five to seven links down the results of the search was the link to the church that I mentioned. Clicking on the site I gasped and shook with anxiety as I finally understood what we (parents, teachers, kids) were up against. The site promotes among other things, death in all forms, sodomy an suicide. So there I was doing what my students were by researching the topic, and there it was, like any other site. Organized (not well) just enough to have their information viewed and their "Four Pillars" defined. I will

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