Watch Yourself
Gosh, I hate when adults try to hit the zeitgeist of the younger folks. They never realise that their crappy shit is not trendy and that kids want to be taken seriously instead of hearing idiotic tips from idiotic 40 year olds who think they have a clue about how the youth speaks or act or how they can get reached. Adults trying to get a message along by doing “cool” propaganda must be one of the most embarrassing things on earth. The spot below was made for the German “Watch your Web” campaign. Its goal is to teach teenagers that they shouldn’t trust anyone they meet online and that the photos they upload to social networks could be used by peados to get off etc bla bla… The other way ‘round would make more sense if you ask me: Let the kids teach the grown ups about what freedom is, what self determination means and that the web is nothing to be scared of ffs. You guessed it… the only reason to watch this spot is the pretty cute guy. Just ignore that “Oh, it is 1992, right?” super hero at the end.
about 9 months ago
Wish I could understand german… It is intertaining to see that what you say is totally true. It really pisses me off when my school organizes conferences for this kind of things. They take us for immature people. Well, a lot of people of my age are immature, but they might remain the same even when they will become adults.
Anyways, it is true that adults are fearing the internet way more than they should : my grandmonther still thinks that we have to pay to visit a (normal) website and that people who see your Facebook account feel the irresistible need to kill you (and I don’t even own one 0_o). What do they know about the today’s internet?
about 9 months ago
Yeah, he is a cutie allright. 3AM? So angry you couldn’t sleep, Josh?
Kids, if you want to know who really hides behind the avatars, Alzhem and Coke’s video shows it better (4th animation). The German one did not seem very effective to me…
I love it when kids take the initiative, like the one who started selling a few books to buy food for other kids and families and is now gathering tens of thousands of books, another one and his school help a whole village in Africa, another one recently fought for same sex marriage. All 12 years old or less, if you can imagine.
about 9 months ago
I haven’t found a clue where they warn about “pedos getting off on the pics”. Paranoia everywhere?
about 9 months ago
It’s just one spot of a whole campaign, they have different spots for different subjects.
about 9 months ago
I have seen all three videos and haven’t found that accusation
about 9 months ago
Of course they don’t say it exactly like this but it one of the things among the lines “what can happen with your pictures” and the whole “you don’t know who you really chat with” is a typical part of the pedo hysteria too. The campaign is more than these 3 videos btw.
about 9 months ago
That is one gorgeous boy! I, too, would like the dialog at the end translated from German.
Given my vast knowledge of German language and culture I know that it is not:
–A large beer, please.
–Coffee with milk please.
–Where is the toilet, please?
–Sir, there is a giant Easter bunny in my bed!
about 9 months ago
Don’t hold back, Josh – tell us how you REALLY feel. :)
No one knows where the internet is going or where it will end up. Scares the shit out of the old folk. Plus, people get PAID to scare the shit out of people, it’s the evening news to have an old pedo pick up a boy at the park, it CAN HAPPEN TO YOU OMG. I’m one of your old folk – obviously being over 40 I couldn’t POSSIBLY understand what it’s like being 20, or 30, or 40, I have no experience with it. Nope, never happened to me. But YOU DO, right?
I can’t imagine putting pictures of my dick online, not because I mean, eww, but because jesus, you think someone might google that up on a job hunt someday? Might it have an impact on your life later? I see myspace pictures of drunkass kids playing beer pong off some chick’s pussy – you think that might show up somewhere down the road when you’re idealistically saving the planet from us? Or applying for a job to feed the kids you got when you got married too early?
But that shit don’t matter to you younguns, you could give a fuck. And that’s perfectly fine with me, because honestly, it doesn’t matter – it’s YOUR problem, not mine. You have to live with your consequences, not me. You deal with the aftermath of your fuckups. It’ll build character to look for work for 6 months instead of three because no one will call you back for an interview.
And while you’re at it, put all your shit on line, let everyone have all your private data – your facebook apps, your google history – you know that track everything you do, right? – so the big corps can digest it and feed it back to as the next cool thing you gotta have – ipod, anyone?
You bitch that we’re fucking it all up, and at the same time YOU”RE BUYING WHAT WE SELL YOU. And we make money off your asses! It’s a great deal all around – a real win-win! Suckers. And, your ipod is gonna go in a landfill and turn into some nasty-ass chemicals that will make the land unlivable – but that’s big corporate’s fault – even though YOU bought the ipod! HA!
Now you little shits get the fuck off my lawn. Oh, wait, this is Josh’s lawn. ;)
* this whole rant should not be taken at all seriously. It was very fun to write. Note the complete lack of reference to pedophilia of any kind. I love every one of you SO MUCH.
about 9 months ago
Haha Stevie, im not sure id understand it even if i did understand the German >.>
about 9 months ago
He sure is a cutie.
If you strip off the daft cartoon at the end, it’s actually a really moody art film.
It could win prizes!
Thanks for sharing :)
- R
about 9 months ago
I have to agree, as immature as some teenagers are, trying to reach us as if we’re five isn’t really going to work. Sure, the internet is dangerous. I had to do an assignment on murders related to myspace and facebook, but they’re taking the completely wrong approach to it, and not every person on the internet is pedo/stalker/murderer.
As for the German. I did German in school for seven years. Turns out that it didn’t help one bit for that video xD
about 9 months ago
I didn’t read carefully so I thougt the whole spot was from 1992. I was like “yeah, that’s how we dressed, haha”.
Seriously, what a fad attempt to learn kids think the way their parents do. Fact is most don’t and shouldn’t care about (nude) pictures being spread. They have realized, at least the most netsavvy ones that haven’t adopted societies attitude, that pictures don’t matter. They’re just pictures! Which makes it really scary to think about what the older generation is actually saying to the kids: “Depictions of you are so dangerous that they can ruin your life.” That’s how you ruin lives, by making kids believe something can ruin your life.
about 9 months ago
Indeed. Just another attempt to teach them that sexuality is the evil force of the world and something you have to be ashamed of because when someone finds out you have sex he won’t give you that job ’cause no one wants to hire people who have sex and are satisfied! Oh boy…
about 9 months ago
Fear, fear, fear, that is what those who are afraid of change always use to manipulate the masses.
about 9 months ago
Wow. lame commercial.
cute boy.
about 9 months ago
You don’t have to be a teen to find this vid ridiculously stupid – it’s not a question of age. So I agree with you. But I don’t agree with your implicit statement teens would behave mature and reasonable only because they know how to use social networks and youtube and WLAN, and adults don’t. Sorry, but do you really think that the percentage of reasonable or stupid individuals of our society is significantly different when devided into categories of age?
This is an official spot made by politicians and bureaucrates, who don’t know how to spell WWW; but those who use the internet for their own financial profit are of the same age; they don’t do it because they like kids, but because they want to make money. Besides that: Have you ever virus-checked an average teen’s pc? I did several times and didn’t wonder why their parent’s bank account data were found on a confiscated hacker’s computer.
A stupid vid is one thing; but proclaiming teens know better only because they’re teens, is another.
about 9 months ago
WARNING: do everything NOW, while you’re a teen, because somehow all the wisdom you possess as a teen disappears when you turn 40. Yes, it’s true : teens have universal knowledge, experience and insight and will lose them all when they age. No one knows how or why this happens, but apparently dementia strikes at 20 and gets progressively worse until you lose all sense at 40. Terrifying, isn’t it? Just think how society will – rightly – dismiss and disregard you once you’re out of your teens. But don’t despair; there will be another generation coming along to let you know everything you’ve learned is useless shite. Whew!
about 9 months ago
No need to freak. I was talking just about the internet. One generation grew up with it, the other didn’t. So it’s perfectly natural that both generations have a different approach to the technology and its social and cultural components. That doesn’t mean you can’t be 40 and tech savvy or 14 and clueless about the web., so calm down.
about 9 months ago
i saw the report on dw-tv (germany’s satellite channel to the world) and it seems to me the moral of the story is not to date girls because they can be vindictive if dumped and, in this new age, can get you anywhere …
about 9 months ago
Who are you saying doesn’t get it? Most of the people BUILDING the internet (it ain’t done yet) are in their 40’s.
about 9 months ago
My goodness, why are people so easily offended when it comes to age? I was NOT talking about ALL adults but about the SPECIFIC group of adults who try to teach kids what to do online and what not. Most of them don’t even know what a browser is.
about 9 months ago
Maybe cause you simplify? Or cause you split? And cause you imply that this campaign is a question of one generation against another? BTW, I neither freaked nor am I offended; I actually had to giggle upon your rage against stupidity… That’s such a waste of energy, but anyway.
about 9 months ago
Yes, I did say it’s a fight between 2 generations – but not generations of age but generations of tech. But that’s exactly what I said already in the comment above.
about 9 months ago
“Gosh, I hate when adults try to hit the zeitgeist of the younger folks. They never realise that their crappy shit is not trendy and that kids want to be taken seriously instead of hearing idiotic tips from idiotic 40 year olds who think they have a clue about how the youth speaks or act or how they can get reached”
“My goodness, why are people so easily offended when it comes to age?”
Beats me. :)
about 9 months ago
I dunno how often I said it by now but: I was not talking about all 40 year olds but about the ones behind this campaign and the ones who try to tell kids the internet is evil in general.
about 9 months ago
I find it very “interesting” to notice just how HUMAN we humans really can be sometimes, especially myself, and often when I read some of Josh’s more provocative posts here on my favorite blog, Milkboys.
I found myself reacting negatively reading the first three sentences of the post, but calming down and getting it by the end of the introduction. Watching the video, I fully understood Josh’s intent and shared his sentiment. Then, as I start reading the comments, I heat up again. I notice the ageism immediately, and further, I cringe in dismay when some miss the anti-pedophilia hysteria posture of this government sanctioned PSA. The comments turned out to be more intense than the post, in both negative and positive ways.
I reacted to the insincere and alarmist tone of the video, and in the comments, to the denigration of adults older than some arbitrary age where they become “them” as separate from “us” and to the few who seem to question the damaging existence of the ongoing anti-pedophilia hysteria. The thing is that I would never have considered funding or making such a video; yet, I’m one of “them” – a person over 40 and one whose been the target of many (always unfounded) accusations of being a pedophile. Go figure!
I find that those who visit here and leave comments are more intelligent than the average, yet all of us humans behave exactly like who we are when we feel strongly about something – when we feel misunderstood or slighted, we become angry and defensive. When we react according to our feelings, often we make things worse. Very often, fear and ignorance play significantly on all sides of an intense discussion.
My foremost reason for labeling this blog as my favorite is the skillful blending of the fun with the serious, both in the posts and in the comments. This one post helped me to identify the powerful underlying feeling I have regarding the blend found here – it serves extremely well to unify, rather than to separate, those of different ages. I have long been concerned about the almost mandatory disconnect between people aged 30, with those in between struggling to decide where they fit or will be allowed to fit. I’ve never addressed this disconnect successfully, except on an intimate and personal level in real life; in real life, I have never, never ever, had a problem connecting with anyone of any age.
I’m not at all sure that what I just wrote makes any sense at all, but I felt compelled to write it anyway…
about 9 months ago
The last paragraph should read:
. . . I have long been concerned about the almost mandatory disconnect between people aged under 21 and those over 30, with those in between struggling to decide where they fit or will be allowed to fit. I’ve never addressed this disconnect successfully, except on an intimate and personal level in real life; in real life, I have never, never ever, had a problem connecting with anyone of any age.
[I can't seem to edit my own comment.]
about 9 months ago
Josh, your enthusiasm makes you square as a young man can be.
It is not the worst thing to make pre-teens and teens aware, that there are lot´s of adults or 20somethings out in the wild, exploring the social communities only for collecting pics of boys and girls and to share them in erotic oriented communities.
Do you really think that even one of these blogholders have ever asked for permission to use the downloaded pics?
But I understand: Without naive teenboys who are uploading their pictures to myspace and facebook and whatever, blogs like yours would not exist. If this is good or not is questionable and not the main point on this discussion.
For example: Would you go and ask the very famous grey speedo boy (Now 20something, I guess) how he enjoys being a masturbation icon for thousands of gayoriented blogs and webpages?
So if someone tells the teenagers they should take care about what and where they spread and share, this is bad in your opinion?
I think you will say YES. And because I am sure that you will say yes, to me you are just a little selfish person who do not want, that the waters stop to flow.
about 9 months ago
1: Yes, actually, I do ask the “model” of a photo whenever I know him. That’s just not the case most times so there is no one to ask.
2. How does it harm a boy that others see and admire or even get off to his photo?
3. All this hysteria is causing only one thing: Teenagers are taught that they should not love out their sexuality because it’s “dangerous” which eventually leads to the restrictive laws we have because anyone wants to believe kids are getting abused (not in a physical sense) all the time.
about 9 months ago
Josh:
“How does it harm a boy that others see and admire or even get off to his photo?”
It doesn’t. But when photos surface as part of an employment background check, shows up in the email of a future spouse, or when some weirdo extracts the exif data from a modern cell phone picture and gets the GPS data out of it, it can be a problem.
Knock yourself out taking shots and putting em on line. Don’t show your face and for gods sake learn how to strip ALL the data out of the pictures before you put them up. Be smart about it.
about 9 months ago
Golly! What a sweetie!
(sorry for being so shallow ;) )
about 9 months ago
Well, the sentiment behind the ad, at least, is valid. See below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8094420.stm
about 9 months ago
I’m gonna be like a kid here and do the “ten second sound byte” thingy…
If you think that I posted my pics of me in the mirror, shoving my boxers down below my bald pubic mound, struggling to emphasize my 8-pack and my semi-tumescent penis, just so you could warn me that I’m endangering my future, well, dude, you’ve got it all wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wanna hear from anybody who thinks that I’m HOTT, and I wanna know exactly what you wanna do to / with me – why the f**k else do you think I posted those pics in the first place???
Ya’ll old people are reely stoopid if you think weer not totally cool with us puttin our pics out there for you to see!
about 8 months ago
Cute, I just wonder if the boy is young Robert Stadlober?
about 8 months ago
Oh, forget it, the ad is too new for that. But well, he does look a bit like young Mr. Stadlober, right? :)