Comments on: Survey: Teens 'sext' and post personal info

A new study finds that nearly two-thirds of teens post personal information online, a third are "engaged" in cyberbullying, and 20 percent admit to sexting. But is that really that bad?

[Sam Papelbon]

i hate surveys that use vague descriptions. i can just imagine it saying 'have you been cyberbullied?', as if 'cyberbully' actually means anything. oh whoops, have i just 'cyberbullied' the people who wrote this survey? at least i didn't cybercorner them in the cyberplayground and make them cough up their cyberlunchmoney.

i mean really, if you don't know how to block people from messaging you online, then you probably are stupid enough to deserve any 'cyberbullying' you get.

[Orion Blastar]

Some web sites don't have a "block" option, and cyberbullies always create anonymous accounts to avoid being caught for cyberbullying. If you block one of their accounts, they have many more to use and work with groups of other cyberbullies.

It is not just a teenage thing, even adults can be cyberbullied. I for one was always bullied at my workplace, and some of the bullies took it to the Internet. Some even created fake accounts about me with untrue information on them, that I had to petition to get removed. All so that they would be the ones getting that promotion and staying on the job long enough to get a pension and bully any competition out of the company and even out of the industry.

[Orion Blastar]

I think most teens that are cyberbullied might not admit to it. Admitting to being cyberbullied might make them look weak or passive or make the cyberbullies attack them more often. There is no good system to prevent cyberbullying online, and even blocking an account cannot stop the cyberbully from creating more accounts to get around the blocks.

Then as the local, state, or federal government cracks down on that activity it takes away rights and freedoms from everyone online. One day we won't be able to use handles or nicknames on the Internet and be forced to use our own real names.

[Police_States_of_America]

anyone who uses the term "cyberbully" as a serious term has absolutely no idea how the web works. when you go to any site it is easy to insult others and be insulted. sometimes this is random trolling sometimes this happens because the user is annoying, however any kid that takes this kind of thing seriously probably shouldnt use the web in the first place.

[Invierno1894]

It really depends on what you think "cyberbullying" is. I'm pretty sure that if you've been a member of a site, on a forum or something, then chances are that you have been bullied. Maybe, you've been "cyberbullied" and you never knew it, such as posting something on a forum, and you never went back to the forum, so maybe someone insulted you on that, and you never knew. So, I'm not too surprised about those numbers. And, even sites like facebook, which basically demand your real name, but allow the option to block the name, where you live, etc. But as far as sexting goes, I've seen on the news, that its illegal to both send, and OWN a nude picture of someone (I'm assuming underage). I was quite surprised by those results. That's just my opinion on this, "cyberbullying" has been blown way out of proportion.

[terminalblue]

So i guess we need a new law to stop kids from themselves? thank you John Walsh, for making it a safer world for everyone that doesnt care about their personal freedom.

[Dustymack]

Here is a concept " stop using sites that can lead to cyberbullying". Most of the sites that lead to bulling are a wast of time and give out more information that can hurt you negatively. If you have time to twit, update myspace, or facebook chances are your wasting valuable time that could be spent learning and getting ahead in life. These social networking sites are like TV (a big wast of time).

[lordmorgul]

Social networking is not a waste of time, it is one POTENTIAL waste of time. I spend some time weekly on facebook, and I managed to finish my graduate degree and work as an engineer while doing it, so I don't feel too far behind in life right now.

A human being can waste time picking their nose, staring at a wall, or unhealthy things like overeating, hiding from society, lying in bed all day, watching TV excessively (not all TV is bad... food network rules). Some people waste time on social networking, but you are the fool to say everyone who spends time that way is wasting it.

[lordmorgul]

The only 'dangerous' personal information they asked kids about posting is their actual address. Pictures of themselves, which school they attend, etc, are pieces of personal information yes, but are only pieces of a puzzle that anyone who INTENDS HARM will be able to put together without them.

The 'risk' of kids sharing information online is greatly blown out of proportion. While it is important to protect direct contact info, address, and potential financial info the rest of the things shared on social networking is much more benign. So when kids (who generally have a higher cognitive understanding of the technology than the interviewing adults...) are asked about their own behaviors and there is a difference from the 'expected response' it seems normal enough to me that they are risk tolerant.

[DADSGETNDOWN]

With seeing is believeing, (real facts not surveys), 7 children, 5 are 15- 22.
Being fair but some what strict. Trying to install the use of common sense and decent morals and values.
Being wise, and having a great sixth sense.
This article is full of LIES .
I believe that they are also trying to make people think it's okay and "safe", and the things we know are happening are not really "as bad as we know they are".
It's lies, like politics.
Unfortunately websties, blogs, schedule and all these things were meant to bring family and friends to gether, which I think is cool, fun and good to do these things on those places, IT IS Unsafe.
Most People are looney tunes, these days.

[Lerianis3]

Big deal. The fact is that in a world where all information on people is available with a search online, even if they have never used the internet, you just have to realize that you are never going to get your personal information out of the public eye.

[CNET editors' note: Prohibited content deleted.]

[monkeyfun14]

Teens "sexting" oh no the world is coming to an end! Everyone panic!

Everyone gets pissed at teenagers for having sex now you guys get pissed if they act it out over a text message.

Isn't sending a sexual text message a bit better then physically having it?

[caesarsf]

Larry, the New Hampshire Study was 2005, and probably looking at 2002, 2003 data. Do you really think that those findings are valid in 2009? Mobile texting was not even that big then, and certainly no MMS. When you say all of the studies show that millions engage but few suffer any serious problem as a result. Stop relying on outdated studies.

[setjeff15081947]

How many years was it before we realized, and the Fast-Food joints acknowledged, that this stuff was killing us? Whoops! Don?t believe I?ll live long enough to witness the consequences of ?Sexting? [What the !@#$ does that mean?], but I?ll bet it won?t be too long before my Word® Automatic-Updates stops that word from being underlined in red.
I have witnessed, though, what the editorial and comic people have been having a wee bit of a ?Field Day? with. I actually saw, in a local coffee dive, two guys sitting across the table from each other; they were ?Tweeting? ? to each other.
Wherever he is, Rod Serling is smiling.