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I used to really, really want to be a journalist. But now, thanks to my having this column, I have "met" (via e-mail) two real-life journalists and I have to say they didn't exactly impress me. In March I got an e-mail from Dorianne Almann, Tripod's "Public Relations Manager" (how do I get one of those?) saying that she had gotten a call from Linton Weeks, a reporter at the Washington Post who covers the World Wide Web, and that he was interested in doing a story on my column, and did I want to talk to him? I told Dori "YES!" I was pretty excited. A month went by, and Weeks never got in touch with me. Dori called him twice and e-mailed him once, and he never even responded to her. She said to me "I'm wondering if he's the type of man who says yes when he means no." I think she may be onto something there.
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By
Tyler Valdez
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Then, in April, I get an e-mail while I'm at school. It's from Amy Harmon, a reporter at the New York Times. She said, "I'm writing a story about teens' use of the Internet, and how parental concerns about it have been raised in the wake of the Littleton school killings. I saw your site on Tripod and I wondered if you'd be willing to talk to me for the story. I'm on deadline today (Friday)." (As you may know, one of my first columns ever was about the time I took a gun to school to see what it felt like.) Even though I had already been burned by Weeks, and even though Harmon thought I had a member page on Tripod, I got all excited again. So I wrote her back, explained about my column, and said I'd be checking my e-mail for her questions. Then I went and begged Mr. McIsaac, my history teacher, to let me out of fifth period so I could check my e-mail and write back to her. He seemed impressed that I was going to be interviewed by the Times (he makes us read it in class sometimes), but he said I would have to stay after school because we were having a pop quiz that day. So I got my e-mail from Harmon, and it asked, "Some parents feel the Internet is a dangerous place for teenagers to be, particularly given its role in what happened in Littleton. Do you agree?" Here's what I wrote back:
"I can relate to the way the 'Trenchcoat Mafia' felt. People in high school are usually blatant conformists, and if you're different in any way, you get harassed ALL THE TIME. I didn't turn to the Internet to find out how to make bombs or to research neo-Nazi garbage, but I did go there to get away from close-minded people. I've found that you can really speak your mind online, and when you do that you find out that you're not alone! I'm afraid people are going to try to censor the Internet now, or at least restrict access to it by teenagers — but if they do that they should also stop teenagers from talking to each other on the phone and reading books. I often get the impression that this is what adults want anyway — for teenagers not to talk to each other about anything important, and not be interested in the world around them, and only care about sports. In other words, to be just like the people who were targeted in Littleton: conformists. What teenagers need is MORE access to information and people who understand them, not less. It's because people are alienated from each other that horrible tragedies like the one in Littleton happen."
Well, I didn't hear from Harmon again — she didn't even write back to thank me for taking the time to answer her penetrating questions. And then her story came out a few days later, and wouldn't you know — I didn't get mentioned at all. The story was all about how dangerous the Internet is for teenagers. I guess my idea that people should communicate more, not less, was too subversive for the New York Times!
Well, I was going to write more about my summer adventures this time, but my editor thinks I should answer some letters, since I've been getting so many. Tune in next month and I'll give you some juicy gossip about me, Maude, and the man (boy, really) who's come between us. It's really been getting me down, to tell you the truth, but as long as I have my column at least I can share my feelings with you, my readers. Some of you, especially Big Mike, have written so often I feel like we're old friends. So please keep the letters coming!
Click here to read Tyler's new letters—>
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