Doug Johnson

Scenario 6 (Appropriate use)
Just for fun, thirteen-year-old Alice tells the other people on her electronic mailing list that she is twenty years old and a nursing student. Others on the list have begun emailing her health-related questions.

Questions:
What is the inappropriate action?
Who committed it?
What danger or discomfort might the unethical action cause?
Is there a parallel in the physical world to this scenario?
Can you think of other incidents that would fall into this category?

Comments:
Disguise, impersonation, and other forms of “trying on” new personalities are common childhood and adolescent behaviors. The anonymity of the Internet limits such impersonation only to the degree that a lack of a young person’s writing skills or sophistication of thought allows discovery. Role-playing in a physical context is often seen as both healthy and educational. We need to help our children ask when such activities are productive and when they might be harmful.