MySpace and ‘choking game’
By Noah Farr
nfarr@seacoastonline.com
RYE - Amid periodic whispered exclamations of "Oh God" and "You gotta be kidding me," 20-plus Rye parents listened to a presentation on the dangers of Internet communication and a form of getting high known as "the choking game" among youth.
Wednesday night’s meeting was presented by Rye Police Officer Heather Porciello and singled out Web sites such as MySpace.com and the Instant Messenger program, which have become hugely popular with both children and teens in recent years.
"When they post themselves online, anybody can look at them," she told the gathering at Rye Junior High School. "And nobody knows who’s looking at them."
Porciello said sites such as MySpace.com, which essentially provide kids with their own Web page, are easy to access and easy to navigate, allowing anybody to view another person’s profile.
She said actions like sharing buddy lists, leaving detailed away messages and personal information such as eye color, age and cell phone numbers were all ways to attract unwanted attention.
"Kids just don’t know that there are that many predators out there," she said. "The anonymity is amazing."
That anonymity extends to law enforcement as well. Porciello said she monitors a group of almost 50 local kids.
Because everyone’s MySpace profile can be viewed by anyone else with a profile, she can sometimes determine where a party was or will be held.
She said she found a Portsmouth High Student who had taken his picture next to a marijuana plant he had been growing.
"It’s like walking a double-edged sword," said Jenny Galvin, a mother who attended the forum. "Kids want to talk to each other, and the reality is MySpace is here to stay."
Porciello said that keeping the computer in a room where a child’s activities can be easily monitored and talking to them about the dangers of the Web site were the best courses of action.
Also discussed was "the choking game," in which kids intentionally choke themselves in an effort to get a rush or "high" from the lack of oxygen that results.
Though Porciello said there have only been two deaths in the state since 2001, when she asked sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders if they had heard of it, nearly all of them raised their hands, and one-third knew someone who had tried it. "It’s happening here," she said.
Porciello said many kids think it’s a safe alternative to drugs, when in fact it is not.
Principal Jan Yorst said the game itself isn’t new - what’s new is the fact that many kids have become addicted to the feeling and are doing it at home by themselves with ropes and belts. "If they go and pass out, who is going to release the noose?" she asked.
"It’s not just your at-risk kids," added Porciello. "It’s your honor student. It’s your popular kids."
nfarr@seacoastonline.com
RYE - Amid periodic whispered exclamations of "Oh God" and "You gotta be kidding me," 20-plus Rye parents listened to a presentation on the dangers of Internet communication and a form of getting high known as "the choking game" among youth.
Wednesday night’s meeting was presented by Rye Police Officer Heather Porciello and singled out Web sites such as MySpace.com and the Instant Messenger program, which have become hugely popular with both children and teens in recent years.
"When they post themselves online, anybody can look at them," she told the gathering at Rye Junior High School. "And nobody knows who’s looking at them."
Porciello said sites such as MySpace.com, which essentially provide kids with their own Web page, are easy to access and easy to navigate, allowing anybody to view another person’s profile.
She said actions like sharing buddy lists, leaving detailed away messages and personal information such as eye color, age and cell phone numbers were all ways to attract unwanted attention.
"Kids just don’t know that there are that many predators out there," she said. "The anonymity is amazing."
That anonymity extends to law enforcement as well. Porciello said she monitors a group of almost 50 local kids.
Because everyone’s MySpace profile can be viewed by anyone else with a profile, she can sometimes determine where a party was or will be held.
She said she found a Portsmouth High Student who had taken his picture next to a marijuana plant he had been growing.
"It’s like walking a double-edged sword," said Jenny Galvin, a mother who attended the forum. "Kids want to talk to each other, and the reality is MySpace is here to stay."
Porciello said that keeping the computer in a room where a child’s activities can be easily monitored and talking to them about the dangers of the Web site were the best courses of action.
Also discussed was "the choking game," in which kids intentionally choke themselves in an effort to get a rush or "high" from the lack of oxygen that results.
Though Porciello said there have only been two deaths in the state since 2001, when she asked sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders if they had heard of it, nearly all of them raised their hands, and one-third knew someone who had tried it. "It’s happening here," she said.
Porciello said many kids think it’s a safe alternative to drugs, when in fact it is not.
Principal Jan Yorst said the game itself isn’t new - what’s new is the fact that many kids have become addicted to the feeling and are doing it at home by themselves with ropes and belts. "If they go and pass out, who is going to release the noose?" she asked.
"It’s not just your at-risk kids," added Porciello. "It’s your honor student. It’s your popular kids."
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