I’m a parent.  I have two beautiful children that make every day worth living.  I also use the internet – obsessively – and want my children to grow up and use the internet to improve their education and provide entertainment.  But, the internet is a cruel, cruel place, and a significant amount of training will be given before my children get free reign on the world-wide-web.  Unfortunately for them, the first thing I am going to put significant limits on is social media services like instant messaging, web-camming, etc., because I believe these are the places that pose the biggest threats and frighten me the most.

You’re probably wondering why I am writing this, and many of you would understand just by reading Abraham Biggs name.  Abraham Biggs was a 19-year-old Broward College student who committed suicide on a live webcam this week.  Live on the internet and message logs showed that some members of the virtual audience encouraged him to do it, while some even went so far as to discuss whether he was taking a dose big enough to kill himself.  This was a live person and a live audience.  A few viewers tried to discourage him, but nobody picked up the phone and called police until it was too late – hours too late.  It sickens me to think that people watched this man die and didn’t think to lift a finger to help.