"Hilarious Home Video?" Not so funny, IMO

[shesulsa]

ebaumsworld.com has this video up with the title "Hilarious Home Video."

In case it gets deleted, the cameraman (I'm assuming a brother) is hiding when the 18 year old girl comes home to find her mom waiting at the kitchen counter. The girl was not where she said she'd be, no one knew where she was; turns out she was meeting up with someone she met on MySpace.

While her mother strongly admonishes her, she can't touch the comments made by the cameraman.

Comments on this and the prevalence of secret meetings like this?

 

[Jade Tigress]

Ok, I can't help it, but the cameraman's comments did crack me up.

In all seriousness, this is probably more prevalent than we'd like to think, and funny though they may be, the cameraman's comments were spot on. That very well could have happened to her.

I don't know how to go about raising awareness. Kid's simply don't listen. They think they're invincible. One comment the girl made was, "I'm not stupid." Well, that was obviously a very stupid thing she did. Ya know how Dateline does the "stings" with pedophiles online? Maybe they should start targeting kids on myspace to meet with someone they think they know. When they show up for the meeting they find out they've been duped. Air it on MTV or something. Of course, that won't happen.

It's a scary situation to be sure.

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

Never meet a stranger by yourself.
Never go into a strangers house.
If you are going somewhere tell at least one person(a family member)

 

[exile]

"I'm not stupid." Well, that was obviously a very stupid thing she did.

...and that endless chanting of 'I'm 18! I'm 18!!' Not 16, mind you, but all of 18...

Children know they're children up to a certain point. The danger period comes when they're still children but no longer realize that they are. Once upon a time 18 would have meant full adulthood, but not now; along with our vastly extended livespans, our childhoods seem to be prolonged as well, and this kid showed less sense and self-preserving awareness than a 10-year old a century or two ago would probably have done.

How do you make them aware that they really don't have the knowledge and savvy to recognize the dangers out there? That, 18 or not, they're still kids and can't assume that they really understand the possibilities?

 

[shesulsa]

I really don't know, exile, but Jade I said the exact same thing to my family when we watched the latest Dateline sting. They really should do a reverse sting to see how many kids would go meet someone and lie to everyone about where they were.

"I'm EIGHTEEN!!!"

Maybe in years but not in brain.

In the *butt.*

 

[Makalakumu]

The paradox of extended childhood. How much can you really protect your children when they are 16 or 18 or 20 and they make dumb decisions? No one wants to let their child put themselves into potentially dangerous situations, but at a certain point, when do you back off? The above audio clip is an interesting counterpoint to the video posted. Maybe our children make childish decisions because we keep them children for far to long in our society?

 

[ackks10]

i have a 13 year old,i know what you mean, but for some reason when they reach a certain age the bottom falls out and they know EVERYTHING!!!
and we, as the parents no longer know anything,( i know i live it every day):argue: what to do????.

 

[exile]

i have a 13 year old,i know what you mean, but for some reason when they reach a certain age the bottom falls out and they know EVERYTHING!!!
and we, as the parents no longer know anything,( i know i live it every day):argue: what to do????.

There's the famous witticism, often attributed to about James Joyce, about how when he was sixteen years old, he suddenly realized how dumb his father was, and when he was twenty-one, he found himself amazed at how much smarter the old man had gotten in five years....

 

[MJS]

ebaumsworld.com has this video up with the title "Hilarious Home Video."

In case it gets deleted, the cameraman (I'm assuming a brother) is hiding when the 18 year old girl comes home to find her mom waiting at the kitchen counter. The girl was not where she said she'd be, no one knew where she was; turns out she was meeting up with someone she met on MySpace.

While her mother strongly admonishes her, she can't touch the comments made by the cameraman.

Comments on this and the prevalence of secret meetings like this?

Well, fortunately I wasn't drinking anything while I was watching that, otherwise, you'd owe me a new keyboard, as I found the camera guys comments funny.

Seriously though...this girl needs a serious wakeup call. There have been countless cases of sexual assaults from things like myspace. You never know who you're talking to and what you could be walking into, should you choose to meet up with someone.

I don't know why she kept repeating "I'm 18!!!" countless times, as if thats supposed to be the deciding age when you know all. Sorry, but this is 2008. Sexual predators didn't just come into light yesterday. If she doesnt see the danger in her actions, she needs a serious reality check.

As Jadecloud said...if you are going to meet up with someone, let someone know where you will be. And meet in a public place, not the seclusion of someones house. Could something still happen? Sure, but at least someone will know where you were last.

Common sense is certainly lacking with this 18yo.

 

[Sukerkin]

Good and sensible comments above, ladies and gentlemen - sadly the Rep Gnomes are in a mean mood today so I shall have to be satisfied with a "Me too!" .

The know-it-all-teen is a horrible phase that I think nearly all of us went through. I recall with great embarassment what I was like back then - how my father kept his temper I'll never comprehend (especially because I was too intelligent for my own good and, worse still, was aware that I was).

He tried his best tho' and the ways he'd put forward the reason 'why' I couldn't go and do some crackpot 'teen thing I wanted to, have stuck with me to this day (even tho' I wouldn't listen back then).

 

[shesulsa]

What's really amazing is that she starts to cry because the family members are insistent with her as to how very serious the consequences could have been. And it's apparent to me that she's not crying because she feels bad or is scared, she's crying because they found out, because she's grounded, because it's as though her life is ruined.

The day will likely come when my daughter pulls this crap ... and the chessmen are already on the board for that moment.

 

[exile]

What's really amazing is that she starts to cry because the family members are insistent with her as to how very serious the consequences could have been. And it's apparent to me that she's not crying because she feels bad or is scared, she's crying because they found out, because she's grounded, because it's as though her life is ruined.

And did you catch the bit where her mother, clearly at wit's end with anxiety, tells her how they called everyone to find out where she was, including 'Kevin', and her response is KEVIN??!! Why did you have to call Kevin!?? No registration of the effect her dropping off the radar screen had on her mother... I mean, when you're 18, I guess that means that Kevin's finding out is a much bigger concern than taking a couple years off your mum's life.

The day will likely come when my daughter pulls this crap ... and the chessmen are already on the board for that moment.

Not all kids do that... but probably most of them do, at one point. It's different with boys, but I'm not looking forward to Adrian's adolescence....:uhohh:

 

[newGuy12]

Ok, I can't help it, but the cameraman's comments did crack me up.

Of course they cracked you up, and me too, because they are funny. Why are they funny? Because it points out how absurd it really is to think that ANYONE who meets ANYONE ELSE via myspace.com is destined to be raped, in the butt.

That's good comedy, because its so absurd. You have a tv show showing pedophiles meeting children. Next thing, everyone thinks that this is all myspace is for. Its just full of pedophiles trying to have sex with children (this is an adult on the tape, mind you -- a legal adult), so this pedophile idea really doesn't apply.

As children me and my brother would do this all of the time. We would make fun of our parents in this way. We would use this "hyperbole" type of comedy.

OH NO, YOU CAN'T GO DOWN TO THAT ROCK-N-ROLL SHOW, YOU WILL BE STABBED! YOU WILL BE BEATEN UP AND THEN THROWN INTO THE DUMPSTER BY THE ROCK-N-ROLL PEOPLE!!!

It was funny then, and its funny now. Of course, I have no children, so if I am missing the point, there's no harm in it. If I had children, I might very well see things differently.

 

[newGuy12]

I guess that means that Kevin's finding out is a much bigger concern than taking a couple years off your mum's life.

Doesn't every freaking 18 year old in the First World have a cellular phone? Why was a phone call not placed to this person to confirm they were okay???

 

[MA-Caver]

Dunno who decided that 18 should be the age of consent when 21 is obviously the better number IMO. I realized that when I myself turned 21 and saw myself when I was 18 and a "man". Compared to what I knew/experienced by the time I was 21 I didn't know squat when I was 18.

The cameraman's comments did elicit a giggle from me I'm sorry to say. But in actuality it wasn't funny. Very serious family situation there. Seems to me the parents didn't stress strongly enough that while they are of legal age they are still too young to really know the full dangers of the world beyond their door step.
Some learn quickly and other learn the hard way and still some learn far too late. Parents have the responsibility to make sure their children are aware of what waits for them once they leave home. There are a lot of good things in this world, but there are a lot of bad things as well.
Hopefully this girl will realize in time what a good thing her mom was doing grounding her despite her claims of being 18! Still living in the house therefore still under house rules.

 

[DavidCC]

In Nebraska, 19 is the legal age of adulthood. The police came to my house and told me Yes, I can physically prevent my 18 year old from leaving the house. YMMV.

I guess in thsi girl's world only children get raped (I'm 18!). What a weird world that is.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

Funny how true it is, that old saying of youth is wasted on the young.....

 

[shesulsa]

OH NO, YOU CAN'T GO DOWN TO THAT ROCK-N-ROLL SHOW, YOU WILL BE STABBED! YOU WILL BE BEATEN UP AND THEN THROWN INTO THE DUMPSTER BY THE ROCK-N-ROLL PEOPLE!!!

:uhoh: *checks list* Dammit! I KNEW there was something I forgot to do! *loads up and heads to door* :headbangin:

Doesn't every freaking 18 year old in the First World have a cellular phone? Why was a phone call not placed to this person to confirm they were okay???

I think they're starting to be born with them now. Soon there will be a chiropractic condition known as "text neck," a painful curvature of the cervical spine caused by presenting the part of the hair to everyone else's face.

And did you catch the bit where her mother, clearly at wit's end with anxiety, tells her how they called everyone to find out where she was, including 'Kevin', and her response is KEVIN??!! Why did you have to call Kevin!?? No registration of the effect her dropping off the radar screen had on her mother... I mean, when you're 18, I guess that means that Kevin's finding out is a much bigger concern than taking a couple years off your mum's life.

"Kevin? You called KEVIN????" :dramaqueen: I'm so bad I would have said, "Yes, KEVIN! In the BUTT!"

 

[Andy Moynihan]

:uhoh: *checks list* Dammit! I KNEW there was something I forgot to do! *loads up and heads to door* :headbangin:



I think they're starting to be born with them now. Soon there will be a chiropractic condition known as "text neck," a painful curvature of the cervical spine caused by presenting the part of the hair to everyone else's face.



"Kevin? You called KEVIN????" :dramaqueen: I'm so bad I would have said, "Yes, KEVIN! In the BUTT!"

ShesulsOWNED.

 

[shesulsa]

ShesulsOWNED.

:lol2:

You know ... I think I should contact Dateline and see if we can do the reverse sting. :EG: