Question:
NPF,
As you may know, I have great respect for this Foundation.
You know that my interaction with a specific individual caused this post to occur.
I have communicated directly with this individual, and because they are underage, also with the parents. ( I have been in communication with the parents for a long time ). I would like everyone to know that the parents, as well as the complaintant, have said that they think that my judgements at the time were both appropriate and correct.
Having children participate on the General Board as if they were adults muddies the waters considerably. No one can know who is an adult and who is a child by looking at the profiles or general information provided.
There are many Senior adults who post here who have great difficulty using the tools provided.
In short, as a responsible parent and adult , I believe that I have a certain responsibility to protect our youth from age inappropriate material. In fact, I wish that more adults would do so.
Innappropriate does not necessarily mean immoral or bad, just not appropriate for a certain age consumer.
I doubt there is anyone who is a regular here who would say that all conversations, at anytime of day or night, are appropriate for both children and adults.
Don’t know the specifics of what happen in the chat that night. It looks to have been a big misunderstanding and I glad steps were taken to fix the problem.
But as someone that spends lots of time in the chat room I can agree with you that not all conversations in there are appropriate for younger members. Not always X-rated as you said just adult conversations. So I can say this if you are not familiar with all the persons in the room when you are there be a little careful with the topics you chose. That being said I don’t think anyone should be running persons out of the chat room their are other means of communication on this board that can be used and you don’t want someone getting the feeling of being unwelcome on the board.
Cant fault you though for looking after the little one though someone has too. :)
-Fox
I am 16. When I signed up here I didn't see any regulations preventing me from chatting anytime day or night on this or any other board.
As I understand it, this chatroom is a place where people of all ages can come and seek support, information, and comraderie. With features such a private messaging, any adult conversation can still take place without having to ask people to leave.
Maybe I missed it, but I did not see where it was said that you could not use the chat room in that post. The point being made as I saw it was that there were some conversations that take place in there that are not for younger ones.
-Fox
missed the fine print huh. even at home people dont always talk about certains things near their children. its even harder when you cant see the person you are chatting with to see how old or how they are going to react to certain points of view. tell NPF we need video conferencing (kidding);)
I think I see the good and bad points of both sides. in order to protect the freedom of the chat room, it would probably be of best interest if the adults were reminded that there are younger members in the room and to limit the "adult talk" to private chat. Seems more logical to me.
I agree with Chaim....
and..Did we give our ages when we applied for membership to NPF?, because if the NPF has a lot of underage members, perhaps that would motivate them to have a message as you enter the chat room. It could read: Be aware that there may be younger members in this chatroom, therefore if you have anything not suited for childrens ears use other modes of communicating: PMing, YM, etc. otherwise keep it general and absolutely NO asking people to leave. Oh, and turn off your cellphones, and unwrap all candies before entering.
:D
I think the bottom line here is that any parents of a child who lets them surfs the internet and chat in any communities or forums must be responsable to monitor what their children are participating in.
There are very few chats that I have been to that are to far off to be terribly offensive to any young adults.
I think if we all approach it as if we were visitng someone elses home and there are other young adults, your not necessarily going to avoid talking about certain topics....it is how our youth obtain worldy views and begin to make choices and develop thier own beliefs.
Enough said for now
Hi All!
I wish I could have protected my children from eveything that I thought was inappropriate for them to see or experience at certain ages in their tender lives. GOD knows that both my husband and myself did all that we could to that end. But you know what? It was never enough.
But you know what else? We had great family, friends, teachers, clergy and strangers to help us raise our children. And this time I am the stranger and I think that it is appropriate to ask the NPF to step up to the plate and help us guide any children using these boards. It is time to make a statement.
We have teen boards. If you want all adults to feel comfortable using this board, make some sort of parameters. I'm not suggesting severe restrictions. I'm certain you can handle the challange.
I guess I missed it...just where is the "kiddy chat"?!?!? I only see one chat room. Are you referring to the TEEN boards?
From reading through the pasts posts on the ADULT boards (that's funny-the NPF doesn't call it the adult board) I have to question what y'all are calling "adult conversation"? Booze? Raunchy jokes and stories? Discussions about genital psoriasis? The :eek: "S" word?
Lemme tell ya Ol' folks, cause ya seem a bit naive, most "kiddies" now days can talk more "adult conversation" than most of you can handle! Just come stand in the halls of my school between classes and you'll see what I mean.
I didn't mean to stir up the generation gap. I only meant to let you know that as a teen, I don't appreciate someone giving me the right and responsibility to mingle with adults, and then have them turn and start telling me that I can't do this and that, or that I am not welcome. As several have said before, you "adults" have a responsibility too.
I came to the NPF boards to talk psoriasis...can you all just get back to that and drop the age thing?
Originally posted by yrulookingatme
From reading through the pasts posts on the ADULT boards (that's funny-the NPF doesn't call it the adult board) I have to question what y'all are calling "adult conversation"? Booze? Raunchy jokes and stories? Discussions about genital psoriasis? The :eek: "S" word?
Lemme tell ya Ol' folks, cause ya seem a bit naive, most "kiddies" now days can talk more "adult conversation" than most of you can handle! Just come stand in the halls of my school between classes and you'll see what I mean.
anyone that considers that to be Adult conversation is not an adult.:rolleyes:
I have been around this board for a while and can tell you that subjects come up in the room that are not appropriate for some of the younger members on this board. Your 16 so its not as bad but here’s something to think about there are members here who are a lot younger then you are. No one said run them out of there or they were not welcome just to be careful what you say around members you are not familiar with in the chat room.
-Fox
I would like to add me voice to this...
Noone really knows for sure who anyone is here, or what their intentions may be....Some of you do because of the conference and you have met...But most of us have no clue...
There are so many dangers on the internet these days.
We as adults have an obligation to our children to protect them.
We have all heard the horror stories on the news..If anyone thinks for one minute it cannot happen in this community, they better think again...
No looking at me we are not talking about the S word or anything like that..I am talking about people who specifically prey on childern..
It's not an age issue it's a safety issue...And by the way legally in the United States you are considered a child til the age of 18...
WELL SAID!!!
I will reiterate that we cannot be too careful when it comes to our dhildren. And yes, like it or not, you are still a minor until the age of 18.
Just because "kiddies" can " talk adult conversation" doesn't mean they can emotionally handle adult issues.
I digress. The issue of young children being on the board at 1:30 A.M. is what concerns me. Remember this is without adult supervision and talking with adults that her parents may not know. I am concerned.
I find it interesting people even discuss "adult" issues in a chat room for the NPF. If you want to talk "adult", go find an appropriate message board.
Okay, as most of you know, im one of the younger ones on the board. Im 13... which to some of you may seem quite little.
When i first became a part of the NPF i thought it was proper for me to only go to the teens board, and stay out of the more adult stuff in the general board. So i did. but that became boring, i wasnt benefitting from it, i was just reading ppls' stories, plus there were barely any ppl posting on that board. Then, one day, after one of my more mature posts, someone suggested that maybe i should go to the general discussion more often. So i did. You have no idea how much i have benefitted from being able to post on here with other adults, and listen to their thoughts, ideas, advice, and stories. Now, if you wanna take that away from me, you go right ahead, but i can tell ya right now that ur making a big mistake...
Also, about the chat thing, this is an open chat room, and to make someone feel unwelcomed just because of their age is quite a wrong thing, i think. I come from a rougher background then a lot of you could ever imagine (not goin into details today) and what if a lil girl like me came into the NPF chat room, and she was having troubles, say with her family, or friends, or health, and then she was told to go away cuz they were having an adult chat... how would u feel if you were in that little girls position? just for a minute, put yourself in her shoes, and tell me how you would feel...
Well, thats all i have to say for today...
Catch Ya On The Flip Side,
KJ
mama... to your comment about the time thing...
just becuz its 1:30 your time, doesnt mean its 1:30 everyone elses time... to someone else it could be 7:30, 8:30 etc.
basically, if that is what you think, you could say that young kids cant chat at all, cuz even though its 2 pm their time, it could be later someone elses time...
sorry if im babbling, just lettin my thoughts flow...
KJ
That works for me.
Originally posted by chaimFL
I think I see the good and bad points of both sides. in order to protect the freedom of the chat room, it would probably be of best interest if the adults were reminded that there are younger members in the room and to limit the "adult talk" to private chat. Seems more logical to me.
I might be butting my head in where it doesn't belong and I'm sorry for that. I have read a few of the posts about the chat room. I've been very busy with moving but checking back once in awhile.
I'm really tired of the controversy that's been going on the last few months. This is a very great website. It has helped me tremendously. There are chat rooms for all different kinds of people. THIS ONE IS FOR PSORIASIS. I also agree very much about people getting to know each other personaly and staying friends but if it starts coming to joking around about adult stuff that should be done in private. There is only one chat room and every one should be welcome at any time. If some one wants to talk about adult material they should possibly hook up through the NPF but converse somewhere else if they think the might offend someone.
Sorry if I put my foot in my mouth, but this sight is for meeting people with psoriasis and if it goes beyond that then it should be taken somewhere else.
Thanks to everyone that posts on this board you help me very much. I'll get back to ya when I get to NYC.
AMEN TO THAT ERIC!
I second that Amen...
First of all I came into the chat room of the night in question...
When Kimberly left the topic was psoriasis medications...Just want to clear that up since so many prople seem to be wondering about the adult conversation of this night!
People seem to be on trial here!
You are very correct when you say we should walk in someone elses shoes....
Would anyone care to walk in the shoes I have walked in, in the last two and a half years?
If you don't know what I am talking about see my post in Kim's first Christian thread...
We are all here for one thing, to support each other because we have p or pa... Why can't we get back to that?
There have been several people hurt over these controversal topics..Surely this is not what God intended....
I seem to recall something about Judge not lest yee be judged...
Now please if anyone would care to jump right on my back for the comments I have made here, feel free!
Hello,
I still stand by my original thought, when children enter the general forum the waters become muddied. I do not think that is necessarily a bad thing, they have a great deal to offer.
However, as adults, we have a responsibility to remember that neither their bodies nor their brains are yet fully developed.
The fact remains that there are certain topics which are not apporpriate for these members, as valuable as they certainly are. That would not include discussion of on any part of the body, including genital psoriasis.
What might be included would be discussions concerning mental health. Teens are not qualified to enter into those dicussions. Nor are they likely to be qualified to enter into many other medication related discussions.
I think that NPF should consider a teen chat forum.
I've been a member for over a year now. At first, all that was discussed on NPF was about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis...period! It was such a good place to come to read the boards for encouragement and on occasion ask a few questions of my own, and even to vent frustrations of my condition too. I have never been in the chat room here, but have thought about it on occasion. Lately, I guess the last six months, the boards are beginning to stray away from the discussions about p and pa, such as personal messages that have nothing to do with p, bickering among some members, some foul laungage at times, and the list goes on. In my opinion these matters should go to other places or chat rooms other than that of NPF. Sure, joking around sometimes is okay to a point, but the discussions should be p or pa related, to help hurting people have a laugh or two. What I am trying to say may or may be understood here, but I would really like NPF members to get back to the basis of what we are all here for...support for each other, be it an adult, child, or teenager...everyone working together helping one another through the difficult times as well as the good times, a place where EVERYONE is invited! Okay, that is my two cents worth.
Gloria
OK, I've stayed out of this, but I can't stand not to put in my opinion along with the many others. I'm not in Chat very often, mainly because I tend to get on the boards very late (around 11pm or later) West Coast time, and there is rarely anyone there. So as stated earlier, bear in mind that there are many time zones involved on this forum, and too late for one person may not be too late for another.
These boards are to discuss living our lives with p, and all that goes with it. That includes how it affects us emotionally and mentally, as well as physically. We all know how difficult this can be at times. That means ALL ages. Not having had to deal with this crap as a child or teen, I can only imagine how difficult it is for a younger person. It's hard enough as an adult, and growing up brings its own set of challenges. Anyone who has learned to deal with this at a young age has my great respect and admiration. Just because someone is under 18 does not mean they haven't dealt with depression and related medications. I thought that our purpose here was to help ANYONE deal with these issues, regardless of age.
As a parent of 2 young teens, I am also concerned about where my kids are and what they are doing. That is my responsibility, not someone else's. I have laid the groundwork for what I expect of my children, and also warned them that there are predators out there. I know that there are kids out there whose parents either don't care, or are not aware of what their children are doing, but I would hope that's one reason we are here: to help guide these young people with something their parents may not be able to understand or help them deal with. I think most of the younger people on this board are as mature, or even more so than some of those over that magic age of 18, and have probably dealt with more issues than many of us would care to. I'm also not naive enough to think that my children have not been exposed to things I would prefer they would not be. Life is not always within our control. All I can do is be there, and keep communication open with them.
I hope that NPF will not prevent people under 18 from participating in discussions and learning from some of us who have dealt with similar issues, as well as teaching us a thing or two. If someone has an issue that they feel is not appropriate for anyone for any reason, then by all means have a private chat. No one here has the right to ask someone not to participate in a discussion, as long as the discussion remains within the guidelines of this board. If someone is being inappropriate, they are the one who should be asked to leave, or reported to the NPF. That's a little item called "freedom of speech".
I'll get off my soapbox now. I hope I haven't offended anyone, as that is not my intention. Please people: LET'S ALL GET ALONG! We all have something to contribute, as well as something to learn. We're here to support each other, learn something, and maybe even LAUGH once in a while, so let's LIGHTEN UP!! :)
As you may know, I have great respect for this Foundation.
You know that my interaction with a specific individual caused this post to occur.
I have communicated directly with this individual, and because they are underage, also with the parents. ( I have been in communication with the parents for a long time ). I would like everyone to know that the parents, as well as the complaintant, have said that they think that my judgements at the time were both appropriate and correct.
Having children participate on the General Board as if they were adults muddies the waters considerably. No one can know who is an adult and who is a child by looking at the profiles or general information provided.
There are many Senior adults who post here who have great difficulty using the tools provided.
In short, as a responsible parent and adult , I believe that I have a certain responsibility to protect our youth from age inappropriate material. In fact, I wish that more adults would do so.
Innappropriate does not necessarily mean immoral or bad, just not appropriate for a certain age consumer.
I doubt there is anyone who is a regular here who would say that all conversations, at anytime of day or night, are appropriate for both children and adults.
Answers:
Don’t know the specifics of what happen in the chat that night. It looks to have been a big misunderstanding and I glad steps were taken to fix the problem.
But as someone that spends lots of time in the chat room I can agree with you that not all conversations in there are appropriate for younger members. Not always X-rated as you said just adult conversations. So I can say this if you are not familiar with all the persons in the room when you are there be a little careful with the topics you chose. That being said I don’t think anyone should be running persons out of the chat room their are other means of communication on this board that can be used and you don’t want someone getting the feeling of being unwelcome on the board.
Cant fault you though for looking after the little one though someone has too. :)
-Fox
Answers:
I am 16. When I signed up here I didn't see any regulations preventing me from chatting anytime day or night on this or any other board.
Answers:
As I understand it, this chatroom is a place where people of all ages can come and seek support, information, and comraderie. With features such a private messaging, any adult conversation can still take place without having to ask people to leave.
Answers:
Maybe I missed it, but I did not see where it was said that you could not use the chat room in that post. The point being made as I saw it was that there were some conversations that take place in there that are not for younger ones.
-Fox
Answers:
missed the fine print huh. even at home people dont always talk about certains things near their children. its even harder when you cant see the person you are chatting with to see how old or how they are going to react to certain points of view. tell NPF we need video conferencing (kidding);)
Answers:
I think I see the good and bad points of both sides. in order to protect the freedom of the chat room, it would probably be of best interest if the adults were reminded that there are younger members in the room and to limit the "adult talk" to private chat. Seems more logical to me.
Answers:
I agree with Chaim....
and..Did we give our ages when we applied for membership to NPF?, because if the NPF has a lot of underage members, perhaps that would motivate them to have a message as you enter the chat room. It could read: Be aware that there may be younger members in this chatroom, therefore if you have anything not suited for childrens ears use other modes of communicating: PMing, YM, etc. otherwise keep it general and absolutely NO asking people to leave. Oh, and turn off your cellphones, and unwrap all candies before entering.
:D
Answers:
I think the bottom line here is that any parents of a child who lets them surfs the internet and chat in any communities or forums must be responsable to monitor what their children are participating in.
There are very few chats that I have been to that are to far off to be terribly offensive to any young adults.
I think if we all approach it as if we were visitng someone elses home and there are other young adults, your not necessarily going to avoid talking about certain topics....it is how our youth obtain worldy views and begin to make choices and develop thier own beliefs.
Enough said for now
Answers:
Hi All!
I wish I could have protected my children from eveything that I thought was inappropriate for them to see or experience at certain ages in their tender lives. GOD knows that both my husband and myself did all that we could to that end. But you know what? It was never enough.
But you know what else? We had great family, friends, teachers, clergy and strangers to help us raise our children. And this time I am the stranger and I think that it is appropriate to ask the NPF to step up to the plate and help us guide any children using these boards. It is time to make a statement.
We have teen boards. If you want all adults to feel comfortable using this board, make some sort of parameters. I'm not suggesting severe restrictions. I'm certain you can handle the challange.
Answers:
I guess I missed it...just where is the "kiddy chat"?!?!? I only see one chat room. Are you referring to the TEEN boards?
From reading through the pasts posts on the ADULT boards (that's funny-the NPF doesn't call it the adult board) I have to question what y'all are calling "adult conversation"? Booze? Raunchy jokes and stories? Discussions about genital psoriasis? The :eek: "S" word?
Lemme tell ya Ol' folks, cause ya seem a bit naive, most "kiddies" now days can talk more "adult conversation" than most of you can handle! Just come stand in the halls of my school between classes and you'll see what I mean.
I didn't mean to stir up the generation gap. I only meant to let you know that as a teen, I don't appreciate someone giving me the right and responsibility to mingle with adults, and then have them turn and start telling me that I can't do this and that, or that I am not welcome. As several have said before, you "adults" have a responsibility too.
I came to the NPF boards to talk psoriasis...can you all just get back to that and drop the age thing?
Answers:
Originally posted by yrulookingatme
From reading through the pasts posts on the ADULT boards (that's funny-the NPF doesn't call it the adult board) I have to question what y'all are calling "adult conversation"? Booze? Raunchy jokes and stories? Discussions about genital psoriasis? The :eek: "S" word?
Lemme tell ya Ol' folks, cause ya seem a bit naive, most "kiddies" now days can talk more "adult conversation" than most of you can handle! Just come stand in the halls of my school between classes and you'll see what I mean.
anyone that considers that to be Adult conversation is not an adult.:rolleyes:
I have been around this board for a while and can tell you that subjects come up in the room that are not appropriate for some of the younger members on this board. Your 16 so its not as bad but here’s something to think about there are members here who are a lot younger then you are. No one said run them out of there or they were not welcome just to be careful what you say around members you are not familiar with in the chat room.
-Fox
Answers:
I would like to add me voice to this...
Noone really knows for sure who anyone is here, or what their intentions may be....Some of you do because of the conference and you have met...But most of us have no clue...
There are so many dangers on the internet these days.
We as adults have an obligation to our children to protect them.
We have all heard the horror stories on the news..If anyone thinks for one minute it cannot happen in this community, they better think again...
No looking at me we are not talking about the S word or anything like that..I am talking about people who specifically prey on childern..
It's not an age issue it's a safety issue...And by the way legally in the United States you are considered a child til the age of 18...
Answers:
WELL SAID!!!
I will reiterate that we cannot be too careful when it comes to our dhildren. And yes, like it or not, you are still a minor until the age of 18.
Just because "kiddies" can " talk adult conversation" doesn't mean they can emotionally handle adult issues.
I digress. The issue of young children being on the board at 1:30 A.M. is what concerns me. Remember this is without adult supervision and talking with adults that her parents may not know. I am concerned.
Answers:
I find it interesting people even discuss "adult" issues in a chat room for the NPF. If you want to talk "adult", go find an appropriate message board.
Answers:
Okay, as most of you know, im one of the younger ones on the board. Im 13... which to some of you may seem quite little.
When i first became a part of the NPF i thought it was proper for me to only go to the teens board, and stay out of the more adult stuff in the general board. So i did. but that became boring, i wasnt benefitting from it, i was just reading ppls' stories, plus there were barely any ppl posting on that board. Then, one day, after one of my more mature posts, someone suggested that maybe i should go to the general discussion more often. So i did. You have no idea how much i have benefitted from being able to post on here with other adults, and listen to their thoughts, ideas, advice, and stories. Now, if you wanna take that away from me, you go right ahead, but i can tell ya right now that ur making a big mistake...
Also, about the chat thing, this is an open chat room, and to make someone feel unwelcomed just because of their age is quite a wrong thing, i think. I come from a rougher background then a lot of you could ever imagine (not goin into details today) and what if a lil girl like me came into the NPF chat room, and she was having troubles, say with her family, or friends, or health, and then she was told to go away cuz they were having an adult chat... how would u feel if you were in that little girls position? just for a minute, put yourself in her shoes, and tell me how you would feel...
Well, thats all i have to say for today...
Catch Ya On The Flip Side,
KJ
Answers:
mama... to your comment about the time thing...
just becuz its 1:30 your time, doesnt mean its 1:30 everyone elses time... to someone else it could be 7:30, 8:30 etc.
basically, if that is what you think, you could say that young kids cant chat at all, cuz even though its 2 pm their time, it could be later someone elses time...
sorry if im babbling, just lettin my thoughts flow...
KJ
Answers:
That works for me.
Originally posted by chaimFL
I think I see the good and bad points of both sides. in order to protect the freedom of the chat room, it would probably be of best interest if the adults were reminded that there are younger members in the room and to limit the "adult talk" to private chat. Seems more logical to me.
Answers:
I might be butting my head in where it doesn't belong and I'm sorry for that. I have read a few of the posts about the chat room. I've been very busy with moving but checking back once in awhile.
I'm really tired of the controversy that's been going on the last few months. This is a very great website. It has helped me tremendously. There are chat rooms for all different kinds of people. THIS ONE IS FOR PSORIASIS. I also agree very much about people getting to know each other personaly and staying friends but if it starts coming to joking around about adult stuff that should be done in private. There is only one chat room and every one should be welcome at any time. If some one wants to talk about adult material they should possibly hook up through the NPF but converse somewhere else if they think the might offend someone.
Sorry if I put my foot in my mouth, but this sight is for meeting people with psoriasis and if it goes beyond that then it should be taken somewhere else.
Thanks to everyone that posts on this board you help me very much. I'll get back to ya when I get to NYC.
Answers:
AMEN TO THAT ERIC!
Answers:
I second that Amen...
First of all I came into the chat room of the night in question...
When Kimberly left the topic was psoriasis medications...Just want to clear that up since so many prople seem to be wondering about the adult conversation of this night!
People seem to be on trial here!
You are very correct when you say we should walk in someone elses shoes....
Would anyone care to walk in the shoes I have walked in, in the last two and a half years?
If you don't know what I am talking about see my post in Kim's first Christian thread...
We are all here for one thing, to support each other because we have p or pa... Why can't we get back to that?
There have been several people hurt over these controversal topics..Surely this is not what God intended....
I seem to recall something about Judge not lest yee be judged...
Now please if anyone would care to jump right on my back for the comments I have made here, feel free!
Answers:
Hello,
I still stand by my original thought, when children enter the general forum the waters become muddied. I do not think that is necessarily a bad thing, they have a great deal to offer.
However, as adults, we have a responsibility to remember that neither their bodies nor their brains are yet fully developed.
The fact remains that there are certain topics which are not apporpriate for these members, as valuable as they certainly are. That would not include discussion of on any part of the body, including genital psoriasis.
What might be included would be discussions concerning mental health. Teens are not qualified to enter into those dicussions. Nor are they likely to be qualified to enter into many other medication related discussions.
I think that NPF should consider a teen chat forum.
Answers:
I've been a member for over a year now. At first, all that was discussed on NPF was about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis...period! It was such a good place to come to read the boards for encouragement and on occasion ask a few questions of my own, and even to vent frustrations of my condition too. I have never been in the chat room here, but have thought about it on occasion. Lately, I guess the last six months, the boards are beginning to stray away from the discussions about p and pa, such as personal messages that have nothing to do with p, bickering among some members, some foul laungage at times, and the list goes on. In my opinion these matters should go to other places or chat rooms other than that of NPF. Sure, joking around sometimes is okay to a point, but the discussions should be p or pa related, to help hurting people have a laugh or two. What I am trying to say may or may be understood here, but I would really like NPF members to get back to the basis of what we are all here for...support for each other, be it an adult, child, or teenager...everyone working together helping one another through the difficult times as well as the good times, a place where EVERYONE is invited! Okay, that is my two cents worth.
Gloria
Answers:
OK, I've stayed out of this, but I can't stand not to put in my opinion along with the many others. I'm not in Chat very often, mainly because I tend to get on the boards very late (around 11pm or later) West Coast time, and there is rarely anyone there. So as stated earlier, bear in mind that there are many time zones involved on this forum, and too late for one person may not be too late for another.
These boards are to discuss living our lives with p, and all that goes with it. That includes how it affects us emotionally and mentally, as well as physically. We all know how difficult this can be at times. That means ALL ages. Not having had to deal with this crap as a child or teen, I can only imagine how difficult it is for a younger person. It's hard enough as an adult, and growing up brings its own set of challenges. Anyone who has learned to deal with this at a young age has my great respect and admiration. Just because someone is under 18 does not mean they haven't dealt with depression and related medications. I thought that our purpose here was to help ANYONE deal with these issues, regardless of age.
As a parent of 2 young teens, I am also concerned about where my kids are and what they are doing. That is my responsibility, not someone else's. I have laid the groundwork for what I expect of my children, and also warned them that there are predators out there. I know that there are kids out there whose parents either don't care, or are not aware of what their children are doing, but I would hope that's one reason we are here: to help guide these young people with something their parents may not be able to understand or help them deal with. I think most of the younger people on this board are as mature, or even more so than some of those over that magic age of 18, and have probably dealt with more issues than many of us would care to. I'm also not naive enough to think that my children have not been exposed to things I would prefer they would not be. Life is not always within our control. All I can do is be there, and keep communication open with them.
I hope that NPF will not prevent people under 18 from participating in discussions and learning from some of us who have dealt with similar issues, as well as teaching us a thing or two. If someone has an issue that they feel is not appropriate for anyone for any reason, then by all means have a private chat. No one here has the right to ask someone not to participate in a discussion, as long as the discussion remains within the guidelines of this board. If someone is being inappropriate, they are the one who should be asked to leave, or reported to the NPF. That's a little item called "freedom of speech".
I'll get off my soapbox now. I hope I haven't offended anyone, as that is not my intention. Please people: LET'S ALL GET ALONG! We all have something to contribute, as well as something to learn. We're here to support each other, learn something, and maybe even LAUGH once in a while, so let's LIGHTEN UP!! :)
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