12 English

Before class, post the four statement posters (“Strongly Agree,” “Agree Somewhat,” “Disagree Somewhat,” and “Strongly Disagree”) in the corners of the classroom. Since students will be moving around to stand beneath the statements with which they most agree for different questions

ask at least one student in each group to share his or her opinion.

There should be no restrictions on interactions between adults and teens online. -Young people should be reminded regularly about what constitutes inappropriate behavior online. -Most young people are savvy enough to know when they are talking to an adult in disguise online. -Parents and guardians should be responsible for keeping track of their children’s online activities. -Adult predators will be able to get to children regardless of safety measures imposed by Web sites or law enforcement. -Online safety groups overstate the dangers posed by adult predators toward young people. 2. Have the class, read and discuss the article “MySpace to Add Restrictions to Protect Younger Teenagers”

Do you have a MySpace page (or pages)? Do you visit every day? How much time do you spend on MySpace? Do your parents have a MySpace page? If not, have you shown them your page? If your school does not block MySpace, have a student show the class his or her MySpace profile. How would you describe what MySpace is to the following audiences? 1) your friends; 2) your parents; 3) a grandparent; 4) a teen living in the late 1800s Before social networking Web sites, how did teens engage in social networking? Think about the following eras: 1) the industrial revolution; 2) hunter-gatherer societies; 3) the 1980s (don't forget to consider geographic location and cultural influences) Visit the MySpace page of someone you don't know. How does this page reveal information about the person? What design and content techniques are used to catch your attention? Would you want to add this person as a friend or leave a comment on his or her page? Why or why not? What do you want to know about this person that is not posted on this profile? How does MySpace "compartmentalize" the way you provide information about yourself? What types of information does MySpace deem important? How does MySpace frame the communication experience? What different information would you get if you were meeting with someone in person?

respond to the following prompt, written on the board prior to class: “What do teenagers value most, and why? Under the categories ‘people,’ ‘concepts,’ and ‘material possessions,’ write five to ten words and a brief explanation for each. Circle the values most important to you.” After allowing students a few minutes to respond, ask them to share what they have written as you compile lists under the same categories on the board. Are students’ responses consistent, or do they reflect individual preferences?

After you have compiled a master list of teen values, show students a clip from “My Super Sweet 16.” How does this clip from MTV’s popular television show reflect some of the values students listed? Does this show represent the way most American teenagers think?

As a class, read and discuss the article “MTV’s ‘Super Sweet 16’ Gives a Sour Pleasure” (http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20060427thursday.html), focusing on the following questions