Hi, PinkGal23 here. A while ago I was "banned" from Whyville because I stayed on longer than I had promised my parents I would. For that entire week, I probably only thought of Whyville three times. Yes, three. But before I go into detail about my week without Whyville, let me fill you in about how my life was with Whyville.
Every weekend, I would wake up and the first thought on my mind was, I wonder who is on Whyville today? And no, I'm not joking, that's seriously what I was thinking about. As I was trying endlessly to get on Whyville, I would talk to my Whyvillian friends on another chat program (don't bother asking for my screen name) and when I finally did get on Whyville, I would just talk to people there for hours on end. Then my parents would make me get off...and I mean force me to get off. I would eventually sneak back on to talk to people through out the day. Then at around... hmm 8:00pm my time, I would get on two different chat programs (once again, don't bother asking for my screen name), talk to the same people again, and then get into Whyville again. This time, I'd stay on until, hmmm, maybe 10:30.
And then on weekdays, I would get on and talk to people while attempting to do my homework, then get off for about an hour or two. Then I'd get back on at 8:00pm and do the usual routine and get off around 9:15 when my mom came in to get me.
If you don't think I was obsessive... just wait...!
The thing is, when I would go on those chat programs, I was not talking to my real friends, I was not talking to Whyville friends (notice the plural), I was talking to one boy who I had met on Whyville. I did not know him in any other way -- he could have been some stalker... but did I care? No. I just went on to talk to him. Every single day and night, just to talk to him. Did I ever think that it was a little odd that he was always on? Did I ever think about how unhealthy this was? My parent had warned me and I thought it would never happen to me.
But the scary thing is, I am not positive that if he had asked me my address or phone number that I would have lied to him...
I think I always wanted to take a break from Whyville, but I never had the strength or willpower to do it. So that's why I was thrilled when my dad banned me from Whyville for a week. (And the Internet... no more psycho guys talking to me!) That entire week, I felt a weight lifted from me, almost as if going on was something I had to do.
On Friday I went back on (with my dad's permission, of course). It was my first day back on the Internet after an entire week. Once on, the thought hit me, what if I got hooked on Whyville and chat again? I did not want to go back to that! But, as I stayed on, I realized that I did not need Whyville that I guess now I had the strength to finally block that boy and to only go on Whyville to maybe check to times or just to go on once in a while. I realized that in that week, I had matured. Matured into someone that can say no.
That is my story.
I hope you never get as hooked on Whyville and please, NEVER talk to people you don't know on whatever chat service you use. I managed to get off before anything serious could have happened to me.
This brings me back to a cartoon I once saw in the New Yorker. There were two dogs; one dog was sitting at the computer, looking down at the other one, and at the bottom of this cartoon it says, "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog."
If you think about it, it's true. This cartoon has a double meaning, the less obvious one is no one knows who you are on the Internet and when you are on, for all you know, you could be talking to a dog. The second meaning is, think of the dog as a person who just isn't good. They are just... well... bad. You could be talking to someone and you really don't know if they are goodhearted and honest. They could very well be some evil, perverted person just waiting hungrily for the chance to manipulate an innocent (or not innocent!) child. And in another way, I was kind of like the dog in this situation... I told everyone I met that I was 15, when in fact, I am only 12. Not a big deal... but I fooled everyone... every single one of my "friends" on Whyville.
So, if you knew me, I hope you realize that it's just as easy to be a 12 year old pretending to be a 15 year old as it is to be someone pretending to be a 12 year old who is truly a 40 year old. It is easier to be fooled, the more and more you go on and get hooked.
So that's why I quit. I am done with Whyville. I am only keeping my screen name to be able to write for the Times. And as we speak, I am blocking that "boy" so I never have to speak to him again....
PinkGal23... *signing off*
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Editor's Note: I'm very sad to hear about your struggles, PinkGal. I hope you'll find a way to balance your love of our community and your friends with the need to keep your life stable and safe. There must be a happy medium, don't you think?
