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So, there’s been this huge brouhaha regarding the dangers of mySpace for poor, innocent little teenagers who are so ready to become the victims of online predation. Mostly, the sides are divided along the typical Christian right boundaries–some argue that the blasphemous tool of Satan is corrupting our young, who must therefore be prevented from accessing it, at the risk of their very souls. Others say that mySpace isn’t all that dangerous, and that the whole issue is a result of freaked-out, ignorant parents who themselves don’t understand mySpace, the World Wide Web, or even how to send an e-mail. But here’s the post (on a Wired.com forum) that sums it up the best:

This has turned into a moral panic. There is nothing unique regarding myspace, and its “risks” to teens, that hasn’t existed prior to myspace’s existence. The site does not have any ideological, or corrupting influence. The real thing that upsets parents is that teens have a private life online - and guess what - your kids aren’t the little angels you thought they were.

Bless this anonymous poster, for his wisdom far exceeds that of most parents in this day and age, and his memory apparently is capable of recalling his own younger, more reckless years. Most importantly, he notes that mySpace is nothing new–and it’s not–and that it shouldn’t be considered any more or less dangerous than an e-mail address or an AIM account.