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Guest Thinkers — February 16, 2011

USA Today asks (in all seriousness): Has social media gone too far?

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Today’s front-page headline on the paper version of USA Today: Has social media gone too far?

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Seriously? That’s the headline?

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When a drunk driver runs over someone, do we blame the car? When an abusive spouse knifes his or her significant other, do we blame the knife? When an arsonist burns down a house, do we blame the match? When a robber shoots a victim, do we blame the gun?

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The Internet is not like weapons or illegal drugs, which arguably are inherently dangerous. It’s more like a car or an ice pick: a useful tool that also can be misused, just like any other.

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So we can put blame where it should be – squarely on the offender – or we can be stupid about this. We can address the core issue – education and parenting – or we can blame the tool. In each case, I vote for the former. How about you?

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