Congress wigs out over MySpace

TIME MAGAZINE may have celebrated the new realm of user-generated content with its Person of the Year cover story. That doesn't mean Congress is comfortable with young people's participation in the online world.

For more than a century, we have watched struggles between adult moral reformers and young people eager to embrace new technologies. In the latest round, Representative Mike Fitzpatrick, Republican of Pennsylvania, introduced the Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA) in May. It would prohibit schools and public libraries that receive federal funds from allowing youth access to social network, chat, and blogging sites -- most notably MySpace. The bill passed the House 410-15 and awaits Senate approval.

The American Library Association opposes DOPA, arguing that its implementation would cut off significant educational resources. Rather than abandoning youth to face MySpace's perceived dangers on their own, trained educators could help students use social network sites safely.

Over the past decade, schools and public groups have struggled to close the digital divide in terms of access to networked computing. They are just beginning to confront the participation gap in terms of access to skills needed to use these tools effectively. DOPA would further divide youth who have 24-7 access to broadband and mobile communications from those whose only access is through public libraries.

We could have more rational policies if leaders would confront, not exploit, parental fears about the online world.

Henry Jenkins, director of MIT's Comparative Media Studies Program, is the author of "Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide."