From: minrose
To: coopermunroe
Subject: newspaper piece
Date: February 14, 2007

My name is MINROSE STRAUSSMAN and I'm a sophomore at Schenley High. I like music, French and other languages, and um ... hanging out with my friends. And my dream for my future ... well ... I think it would be really neat to work for the United Nations or an NGO in South America or Africa. I'm looking into taking Arabic this summer, so maybe even as a translator...I don't know! haha.

From: coopermunroe
How long have you been going online? What do you do there?

From: minrose
I've been going online for as long as I can remember. I guess I remember going over to my friend Leah's house when I was maybe 10 and using AIM [AOL Instant Messenger] for the first time. Now, I go on MySpace and Facebook pretty much every day. But I usually just go on to check if someone has "commented" me or if there is a message for me. I go on Facebook just to see if there are any parties or events coming up or to get in contact with friends I don't see all that much or who live too far away to call (Canada or Florida or something).

Also, like, two years ago, I used to go on a message board for "The O.C." (one of the best TV shows EVER) and the message board for Say Anything (which is one of my favorite bands). Oh, and I go on AIM pretty much every day, but generally there aren't even people I want to talk to on ... so I just put up an "away message" and do other stuff.

From: coopermunroe
Do you think adults sometimes misunderstand what being online for people your age is all about?

From: minrose
I definitely think that most parents don't get the Internet. I mean, my parents are pretty chill with what I do on the computer (Facebook, AIM, etc.) and I most definitely don't get lectures about safety issues. But the Internet is such an amazing resource, and I think sometimes some parents only see it as a threat to their darling child's innocence. It's a bit ridiculous. I mean, you can find bad things anywhere you look, not just the Internet. If you're smart, you know how to avoid getting viruses or being involved in an uncomfortable situation.

My mom and I fight all the time about how much time I spend on AIM. She says that I "disconnect from the family and plug into the computer" but I've gotten much better about it, I think, from last year. Mostly because I've gotten bored with just talking to the same people over and over and I don't feel the need to spend as much time online. I just don't go on the computer as much anymore. We still fight sometimes about it, but mother and daughter are bound to fight, right?

From: coopermunroe
So, how do you protect yourself online?

From: minrose
I guess I protect myself online for just not responding to any weird messages on MySpace or adding people as friends that I don't actually know in real life. I mean, I'm not stupid. What's dangerous in the outside world will be just as dangerous on the Internet. I know not to click the flashing lights that say "CLICK HERE AND WIN A FREE LAPTOP!" and I know not to give out personal information to people I don't know. I've never run into anything that made me uncomfortable or feel threatened.

From: coopermunroe
Are there holes in your life that online life fills?

From: minrose
Well, I download lots of CDs from the Internet, in numbers I wouldn't normally be able to afford. But I guess more substantially, last year, I found the transition from middle school to high school really difficult and it was good to be able to go online and find people who I could talk to and be friends with. So in a weird way, it sort of gave me a social network for a while when I needed it.

From: coopermunroe
What boundaries would you like your parents to respect re: what they tell their own online friends about you?

From: minrose
The cool thing about the Internet is that anyone you meet online will have few preconceived notions about you. They are far from anyone they could possibly tell (like, if I tell JoeShmo102 that my best friend is SO ANNOYING, well he couldn't tell her I said that, could he?). So, personally, it doesn't matter to me what my family members say about me to someone they meet online.

From: coopermunroe
What are you reading "offline"?

From: minrose
Well, this morning I finished re-reading "To Kill a Mockingbird." I also subscribe to TeenVogue and National Geographic and I love Spin. I guess I read a lot, but not as much as I would like. Oh, and I'm way into French poetry right now. And I'm sort of reading "Around the World in 80 Days" in French but it's sorta hard so it's slow going.

From: coopermunroe
Do you ever worry that you are missing out on more satisfying, more natural friendships?

From: minrose
I used to, a bit, when I spend SO much time online but now I have a good mix of both I'd say. I talk to two or three "online" people on a pretty consistent basis but I socialize a lot more now than I did last year. I don't really see myself as ever missing out on anything.

From: coopermunroe
What advice do you give me, the parent of a 10-year-old girl, who wants so bad to go online?

From: minrose
I think limits are really important. Even though I ALWAYS rebel against mine, I know it's for the best. The Internet is addictive. Um ... I guess just make sure your daughter knows not to put her a/s/l (age, sex, location) up anywhere where she DOESN'T personally know everyone, at least until she figures the "game" of the Internet. No phone numbers, addresses, etc. And CERTAINLY no half-naked pictures, right? haha. But don't scare her into thinking the Internet is the devil :) It's just like the outside world, you just gotta know where to watch your step.