Try saying the kind of stuff that's said online to someone's face and see what their reaction is. Trust me, the same people who get upset over what celebrities say will get upset, no matter who says it. As for freedom of speech, yes, you (by which I don't mean you specifically, just the general you) can say whatever you want. However, that freedom extends to everyone else, and can be used to criticize anything you might say. Also,if you have a career that requires you stay in good public standing, maybe you shouldn't say stuff that will alienate a substantial percentage of your audience.
I agree. I get so much more from my son and daughter when we just go for a walk or a drive, they talk and tell me about things in their life. The great part about technology for parents today is that there is a record for them to read to find out what their kids are up to, how they are using words, and if they are being cruel. My parent's never were able to know my phone conversations with friends word for word and yet, I get the benefit of IMs and texts. Teaching our children about online reputations is very important in today's world. Problem is too many adults don't know how to manage their own online reputation. No longer can we talk behind other's backs without their being a record of it. I work in the internet social media industry and nothing upsets me more then when those younger then me say something stupid like: The internet is the wild west where anything goes, that is just the way it is. Ah, no. There still needs to be consequences, natural and enforced, otherwise we have a population of entitled people.
I don't think those kids appreciate that the wild west was eventually tamed and outlaws didn't fare well.
I think you hit the nail on the head there. They'll learn though, we all had to find out we weren't invincible at some point. The Vancouver Riots have been case in point about consequences of online actions. People who posted pics on facebook of themselves rioting ended up arrested. One made an off hand comment about waiting for him on fb and lost his job. They are learning the hard way.
