PAW

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is running one of their "Parents, the Anti-Drug" ads in this morning's Post. The ad encourages parents to police their children's time online because, alas, it's a "world of temptation" out there.

I'm confident that effective communication between parents and children correlates with a decrease in the likelihood of risky behavior. And I don't think it's a bad thing for a parent to ask how their kid is spending their time. But the message from the ad -- and from the web site -- is more about monitoring, getting your kids to cough up information, than it is about establishing trust. The hysterical language about what happens when a kid boots up his computer just comes across as ridiculous and paranoid. I've said this before, I know, and perhaps I should stop having an incredulous response when I see this kind of nonsense, but it sounds like rants against Elvis' swaying hips or the Beatles' long hair.

It's their world and you're just living in it. They'll be just fine. If it would make you feel better, why don't you brush up on your "Internet lingo" this morning?