Student Samples: Middle School
 Teen Privacy
by Naomi, eighth grade writer
Eighty-three percent of parents are satisfied with their children’s Internet use; however, they check their children's messages weekly. Everyday teens are being violated of their privacy. Parents are losing the relationship they had with their teens and teens become rebellious with anger. Teens should have privacy to express themselves, whether it’s writing in a diary or texting to their friends. Are you giving your teens privacy?
Eighty-six percent of parents see themselves as “guides to good Internet content” rather than using computer programs such as “Watchdogs”. Imagine someone watching over you as you answer messages, e-mail your friends, or watch a funny video on YouTube. Would you want someone hanging over your every word? It’s like someone reading your diary to the whole family. Your parents might do it because they “love” you and they want to “protect” you, but that does not make it right! How can teens have privacy if parents are watching them all day and night?
Janet Kornblum reports, “Reading online bogs and journals are no different from eavesdropping.” Janet agrees with teens and argues that everyone should have privacy. There are laws against reading adult’s mail, but why does it have to be different for teens? As teenagers, we need privacy to have something we can call our own. Teens also have accounts on websites such as Facebook and MySpace, but parents read e-mails and messages on there as well. Madison Jett once said, “My mom read my MySpace page, and read all of my messages! I was mad!” Teenagers all over the world are having their privacy violated by their parents.
Teens spend an average of 16.7 hours online weekly. The Internet is a teen’s life! It is a way teens can open themselves up to the world. Some teens are self-conscious and the only way they can really communicate with friends is through the Internet. About 68 million people use the Internet to share pictures and meet new people. More than 20 percent of those people are under 18 years old. What some parents may not know is that Facebook and MySpace allow you to get a private account. When you get a private account, the only people you allow to know your password can get into your account. The creators of the website made that an option to protect your “identity”. These websites are safer than parents think.
Write a letter to your parents explaining to them why you need your privacy. If you do not have privacy, you are sharing your things to the world even if you do not need to. Parents need to be understanding enough to know that. Teens should have privacy whether it’s an online journal or private diary.
(Click here to open/print Naomi's essay for your eighth graders to analyze.)
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