MySpace, the social networking website, is different from other websites which only provide stories about other people. MySpace is a place that allows you to broadcast your own stories and personal information to as many people as you like. Founded in 2003, it is a big source of information for and about American kids.

Teenagers and their parents feel very differently about it. Teens are rushing to join the site, not sharing their parents’ worries. It signals yet another generation gap in the digital era.

For teenagers, it is reliable network to keep in touch with their friends. They will often list their surnames, birthdays, after-school jobs, school clubs, hobbies and other personal information. “MySpace is an easy way to reach just about everyone. I don’t have all the phone numbers of my acquaintances. But if I want to get in touch with one of them, I could just leave them a message on MySpace,” said Abby Van Wassen. She is a 16-year-old student at Woodland Hills High of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Parents, on the other hand, are seriously concerned about the security problems of MySpace. “Every time we hold a parents meeting, the first question is always about MySpace,” said Kent Gates, who travels the country doing Internet safety seminars (研讨会). The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children has received at least 288 MySpace-related complaints, according to Mary Beth Buchanan, a lawyer in Pittsburgh.

“Your profile on MySpace shows all your personal information to anyone on the Web. And MySpace even lists this information by birthplace and age. It’s like a free checklist for troublemakers and it endangers children,” Buchanan said.

“Have you checked the oil in the car, Ted?” my father used to say to me. Sometimes our phone calls would begin and end with an only inquiry(询问) about the oil, without asking anything else. Fathers have lots of love to give, but it’s often provided through useful advice. In my experience, it’s mostly about the car.

Why can’t fathers just say “I love you” or “It’s great to see you”? Why can’t the sentences “I care about you” and “You made my life better from the moment you were born” be heard? Because fathers tend to express their true feelings indirectly. You just have to understand the language—Fatherlish(父亲式语言).

When I was 17 years old, I went on my first road trip in that old car. My father stood on the corner on a cold early morning to say goodbye. “Roads are dangerous,” he said, “so don’t try driving faster than a horse. And remember to take a break every two hours. And every time you stop for gas, you really should check the oil.” At the time I thought his speech was pretty funny and old.

Dad’s long gone now. But after all these years, I realize that if I had owned a copy of the Fatherlish-to-English dictionary, I would have understood that the speech that I always laughed at was simply Dad’s way to express love and care.

Becky had everything Sarah wanted: a pool in her backyard, popularity, and new clothes. Worse, it seemed (at least to Sarah) that Becky had the Midas touch. Everything she touched turned to gold. She won the class lottery and with it $50! She won every race she entered, every art competition, and every award the school offered. She had all the luck in the world.

Sarah was an only child. She wore hand-me-downs from her older cousin Clementine. She didn't have many friends. Her best friend Kiara was really the best in a lot of ways: kind,generous, and loyal. Just the kind of person you would want for a best friend. But Sarah most certainly did not have good luck. She never won anything. On the days she carried an umbrella, it never rained; on the days she forgot her umbrella, dark ruin clouds seemed to follow her around.

One rainy day in April, though, Sarah and Becky swapped luck. That's how Sarah thought of it anyway. It wasn't expected, and it certainly wasn't planned. But after weeks of wishing for it, Sarah woke up and things felt different. She felt lucky.

She rolled out of bed and noticed a small package on her desk. She opened it: it was a brand new dress, the same one she had been eyeing for weeks. Mom!" she called. Did you get me this dress?”

“It's from your grandmother.” her mother called back," Early birthday gift!”

Sarah shrugged. Her birthday wasn’t until August..

And it didn’t stop there. On the school bus, Carlos, the most popular boy in school, saved her a seat. Then Mrs. Nelson picked her—yes, her!-- to take care of the class rabbit over the weekend. But the best part of the day was art class. Mr. Rodriguez, her art teacher, walked around the room slowly. Sarah hadn't spent much time on her project. But it was still pretty, still unique. Mr. Rodriguez walked past Becky's art project and didn't even pause. Becky looked devastated. Her hair was still wet from that morning's rain. She had forgotten to bring an umbrella.

“Well, class!” Mr. Rodriguez said." I think our winner for this month is Sarah! Excellent work, Sarah--this shows a lot of progress!"

Sarah smiled proudly, “Guess you have some competition," she whispered to Becky.

Sarah was on top of the world. Today, she felt like a better-than-average fourth grader, possibly the best fourth grader who had ever existed. She wondered what was next.

Becky, she noticed had spent most of the day sulking(生闷气的)."Let someone else have a shot at being lucky for once," Sarah thought to herself. Then she noticed that Becky was crying. Small tears dropped down onto her t-shirts.

“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked.

“I just spent a lot of time on that project," Becky said between hiccupped sobs.

Sarah was beginning to feel awful: After all she hadn’t spent much time on her project at all.

Then she felt Kiara tap on her shoulder. “You know, Sarah,” Kiara started. She looked angry and hurt at the same time. “You haven’t been very nice today. You’ve been acting like…like you’re the best person in the world,” She shook her head. “This isn’t just like you at all.”

Now Sarah felt even worse. It was one thing to have the class pet dislike you, but another thing entirely to disappoint you best friend, “I’m sorry, Kiara,” she said. “It’s just been a weird day.”

She walked over to Becky and gave her a hug. “Don’t worry,” she whispered, “your luck will change soon enough.” Luck, Sarah was beginning to think, was overrated.