Finally, some smart advice about children and the online world: Don't fight it, teach them good values.

An Associated Press story, noting how 2009 it is to try to monitor your children's Facebook account, is out today. And it carries this advice:

"Parents who want to keep up with the curve should stop thinking in terms of imposing time limits or banning social media services, which are stopgap measures. Experts say it’s time to talk frankly to kids about privacy controls and remind them — again — how nothing in cyberspace every really goes away, even when software companies promise it does."

I believe it is best to let children start early on computers, both the mechanism and the online tools, so it is natural to them. And part of it being natural to them, of course, is the idea of what to trust, or really, what to distrust, namely everything.

Just as everything must be sourced or at least spread with the idea that 'it may not be true, but here is what one person says,' so too must children learn that they must not hold everything they see as truth, especially when it is what someone says about them. Online 'bullying' or picking on, naming, making fun of, call it what you will, is the same as when it happens in person or in the hallway. It is less harmful if it is given its proper place.

Approaching the web as a valuable tool that allows for easy communication but with a skepticism one should carry throughout their lives prevents many of the problems we see involving teenagers and social media. Just as children learn restraint in what they say to friends, in class or out in public, they also must learn to use the same restraint online.

Just today, two girls are charged with menacing for tweeting or saying something on Facebook about the victim, not as the AP calls her, the 'accuser,' in the Ohio rape case. Dumb stuff, I hope, but it could be more sinister, considering how many conspired to hide this crime, but if they had it in them to have a bit of restraint, now they would not be in court, facing criminal charges and forced to pay for a defense and risking a criminal record.

He ain't a kid no more.

Yes, Kid Rock, Mr. fun times and wild man, seems more like a grumpy old man nowadays. And I'm not talking about his continued support for Republican candidates who end up losing elections. (I still love the anti-drug candidates standing side by side with Mr. Fire One Up, though.)

No, it's Old Man Rock asking fans not to 'ruin' or 'spoil' the fun by posting their concert experience online via social media, whether it be a set list or a clip shot on a phone. Guess what, such things don't ruin the experience for fans. This isn't the third part of 'The Hobbit' being offered. It's a concert.


Such promotion actually builds excitement for shows. Fans often watch clips, read reviews and look for changes on set lists as the traveling show gets closer to their town. In fact, you can see how online news reports get read even after the show leaves town. Many of Gary Graff's reviews, such as his recent one of The Who, get read long after they've appeared ... by fans looking for info on their band as it gets to their town.

Now, what does ruin a show or spoil a night is the hard-earned money being blown by a high-priced ticket when the show doesn't produce the anticipated fun.

Used to be an artist would like any publicity, any word of mouth news reaching fans. But Mr. Easy Listening is telling fans that they must live like he does, nevermind their own habits. Oh, and he'll be the lone one providing photos and tidbits from the show, on his own web site.

Yeah, right, too bad he's not living in the same world the rest of us inhabit. Now if he had just suggested that fans coming to his sold out tour refrain from watching anything about it to enjoy any surprises he has planned, that might come across a lot less harsh. Instead, this sounds like he wants to control who watches what when.