Facebook on Spotlight

Facebook took its' deepening effects in Indo-land! Although they came late.
I'm sure you know what I meant.
The media has been spruiking on about children being missing because of Facebook. These children are on Facebook constantly without guidance from parents.

Having said that, I remember back when I was in Junior High (about their age), I began to explore my curiousity for the Internet. Back then, we have yet to discover Social Networking. It was basic chatrooms, messenger, and emailing. Those 3 socializing media have instantly put myself - a young teenager in Indonesia - to a world so wide, next to random strangers. Hence, I became familiar with the term 'kopdar' or 'kopi darat', which basically means 'meeting up with someone we know online'. Luckily, I have never been that brave to meet these 'online friends' by myself. I've always asked someone to tag along. Kopdar could be harmless or could not. Depends on the individuals (of course).

Worst scenarios. Such cases have raised high attention to Police and Government. The issue of Internet Crimes against children has been a major concern in the western countries, one of which is Pedophilia in the Internet. Adults who have sexual preference for children are everywhere, ANYwhere. That being said, they can easily be your next door neighbour or someone you trusts dearly to keep your kids safe. The Internet is merely keeping a mask for them, a protection from sneering public eye.

Throughout the years, Federal Police and citizen have joint arms to dispose these two-faced criminals. The support asked to citizen is to guidance their children when using Internet, especially on social networking such as Facebook.

Unfortunately in Indonesia, awareness of the issue still smells fresh to our government and citizen. Internet - especially mobile Internet - has just come to our hands since a couple years back. Indonesians are famous for being gadget-minded, emphasize on status and not tech-savvy. Therefore, middle to upper class individuals have encountered to mobile Internet, which means easy access, fast information and higher society status. The said demographic also include their children, from the primary school age up to high schoolies. Some of these parents, having the income, status and knowledge, surprisingly, aren't aware of the effects of mass information for their underage children.

Culturally speaking, Indonesians of the aforementioned society level are indulged with 'house-assistants' in their homes to help with -not only- house chores, but also raising the children. Other circumstance, parents tend to pamper their children without limits. Being raised under similar circumstance, I do understand the behaviour some of these children are experiencing. For instance, lacking guidance and understanding the word 'NO' in their daily activity.

Back in the old age, where Internet is lacking and considered luxury, parents of Generation Y didn't think Internet would be any danger to their children. They would think, what's there to worry about? The kids are at home with their family. Some of these parents have zilch experience with Internet.

Parents' zero knowledge is what keeping the pedophilias in the Internet wildly exploring their sexual needs. That happens up until now, although Internet has been delivered to our hands, with speedy access. Given today’s breaking news of missing children, the parents are left bewildered and started to blame on Facebook.

INILAH.COM, Jambi - Seorang siswa kelas 2 SMU di Kota Jambi, dilarikan wanita yang lebih tua usianya. Mulanya, kedua orang itu berkenalan lewat jejaring sosial Facebook. More....

These parents knew not of their children's "friends' on facebook (or Online). Logically, these kids also barely know who these "friends' are. Sorting the good friends from bad based on online chats isn't easy. I mean, how well you could know a person whom you only talk with your fingertips?

Indonesia is just encountered by such matters. Parents, who are Generation X and baby bloomers are made aware of the concerns of Cyber world, the world that is barely visible to them.

This being said, as silly as it is, Facebook to the western world has made entry into family disturbances. The news that made headlines was about "Facebook Divorces". In Indonesia, too, this made headlines. But the coverage wasn't as high alert as the missing children.

The cases of missing children or abused children as effect of Internet, although very alarming both in Indonesia and the west, could easily vanish in forthnight by the media. Then comes the next headlines, Facebook intervenes into marriage life.

When the cases of Facebook against missing children fade away in Indonesia (that is when the media gains no ratings from it), how soon we would hear them spruiking news of Facebook against the sanctity of marriage to appear in the news?

Such as...

a story on Britain's Telegraph website, which claimed that one in five British divorce petitions are now citing Facebook as the reason for the split. More...

In Indonesia, that could raise some serious concerns because marriage is a serious government issues. We have MUI and Department of Religion to be kept busy.