To the editor:
I couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down and watch Oprah promoting one of her latest causes, "No Phone Zone Pledge."
She was asking people not to talk or text on cell phones while driving.
Her guests were people who had been through horrific circumstances and events that changed their lives forever. There were parents who were instrumental in pushing a bill through their local legislature after their 1-year-old daughter was killed right on a neighborhood street by someone else's mom using a cell phone. Two dads who'd been lifelong friends were killed by a 21-year-old man who was texting while driving.
The stories went on and on, yet despite the tragic evidence, people still think, "It won't happen to me," or, "I've been doing it for years, and nothing's happened."
I wonder. Is anything really so urgent that we must communicate it by phone while driving a vehicle?
Think about it. The fact is that the No. 1 cause of accidents on the road is: distractions.
Speaking of technology, I commend O'Maley Middle School for hosting John Halligan's riveting and heart-wrenching presentation last week.
Both students and parents had the opportunity to learn from his experience of losing his beloved 13-year-old son, Ryan, to suicide. Ryan was not only bullied physically and verbally, but cyber-bullied as well. His compelling story can be found on www.ryanhalligan.org.
Sadly, the topic of teen bullying is all over the news again, with the suicide of yet another teen, a young girl in South Hadley. John Halligan made it clear that the Internet and cell phones can have a negative effect on young lives.
Once their information is out there in cyberspace, there is no taking it back. An iPhone picture or video can last a lifetime and be seen by millions. People can be as cruel, dishonest and vicious as they want to be, anonymously, in cyberspace.
When this happened to John Halligan's son, it was back in the days of instant messaging and homemade Web sites. Since then, the ways and means of cyber-bullying have increased again and again, with the creations of MySpace, Facebook, blogs, texting, Twittering, etc.
John Halligan could not stress enough the importance of parental vigilance regarding their childrens' access and use of the Internet: Never allow a computer behind closed doors, never dismiss changes in behavior, and never stop communicating with your children.
I can honestly say that I've been accused of not keeping up with modern technology. You could say I'm old-fashioned.
My husband and I, as parents, try to keep current with information and educate ourselves to be aware of what is out there. We believe the computer can be a wonderful tool to use for work, information, research and e-mail, and that's about it.
Our kids have little interest in the computer and Internet, other than for school use. My husband and I share a cell phone for work and emergencies. My kids own a Nintendo that they bought second-hand with their own money.
We don't have call waiting. We've never texted or used MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, or blogged. At the ages of 10 and 12, our kids do not have cell phones. Of course, everyone has the right to do what works for their family, and this works for us.
We are aware that as we get older, things will change. There are homes that only use cell phones. There are cell phones out there that can be programmed just with emergency numbers. Texting use can be blocked.
Does a kid really need all the bells and whistles? Does a kid really need to be so socially connected? Does a kid really need to have more?
So many kids growing up in cyberspace are not even developing pen-and-paper writing skills — or developing the face-to-face conversational skills of communicating with other people.
To those people staring down at a screen full of cyberspace — look up and see the sky.
donna viaU
East Gloucester
