Michelle Obama: Daughters Allowed Limited Time Online, Warned Of Facebook 'Gossip Mill'

WASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama says Facebook and other social media sites are a generational divide in raising her children.

During her visit to Mexico, Mrs. Obama tells CNN en Espanol (ehs-puhn-YOHL') that she and President Barack Obama limit the use of computers for their daughters, Sasha and Malia, and ask the girls a lot of questions when they're on line.

"We ask a lot of questions about what our kids are doing while they are on the computer," she explained.

Mrs. Obama said she and the president talk with their daughters about the dangers of Facebook, and "that sort of gossip mill."

The first lady says that more schools are helpful in educating parents as well as children on the pros, cons and dangers of the Internet.

Mrs. Obama tells that when she was growing up, the Internet didn't exist. She called her friends on the phone.

"It's confusing in so many ways. I have to admit, it's a generational issue. My generation didn't have Facebook and internet - you picked up the phone and called your friends on the phone," she said.

Comments

[marieantoinette1755]

11:33 AM on 04/20/2010

I think it would be helpful to the public if journalists began to write articles profiling the owners of various websites. If they're connected to media networks like Fox or where they have money. Although people are entitled to their privacy while running some of these places, it would be good to start highlighting those that are completely above water, and have nothing to hide. Besides Facebook, where is the accountability? Some sites could thereby continue to be hidden (enter at your own risk), but at least people could know which ones aren't and are therefore safer to visit. Especially for children and youths.

[JasonYu]

04:30 PM on 04/30/2010

Hey, Marie, how u doing? I know what you mean after adventures @ 4forums. Who is running that site? I FREAKED. Told my daughter she should never go back there. All that racist stuff they're promoting too. I think they have some weird groups tied in with them.

[marieantoinette1755]

04:52 PM on 04/30/2010

Hi Jason, it's good to *see* you. Glad you made it over here to huffpost. I googled around and saw (in the public domaine, of course) that the board is allegedly owned (and therefore operated) by a Monte Ulm in Pendleton, Indiana. (I think I told WinstonSmith Pennsylvania by mistake before they took the thread down to hide what they're doing.) Apparently, he owns a number of boards on the internet. One wonders if they connected the FOX network at all, since they become venomous upon any criticism there.

You know the poster "JPSartre" -- who was running around with the racist picture of Obama as his avatar? Verbally abusing people whose political views he doesn't like? With the fanatic Obama attackers? He's an administrator! And, they never banned that kook, Archangel, who's going around trying to stalk me, and by his own admission, calling women on the phone, asking to speak to Marie Antoinette. Because even though he wrote, "banned" under his avatar, his avatar is still up. More of their "administrator" games. Unbelievable.

[JasonYu]

05:58 PM on 04/30/2010

Marie,

From the public domain -- Looks like Ulm is also with a group called "network solutions":

http://whois.domaintools.com/4forums.com

Promoting hatred, bigotry, racism, sexism, and no health care for Americans. While stalking women on the internet and by telephone. Stalking Moms too.

Here's what we know about 4forums.com:
• "ulm, monte" owns about 4 other domains View these domains >
• is a contact on the whois record of 37 domains
• 1 registrar has maintained records for this domain since 1999-11-02
• This domain has changed name servers 3 times over 7 years.
• Hosted on 4 IP addresses over 5 years.
• View 20 ownership records archived since 2001-10-10 .
• Wiki article on 4forums.com
• 6 other web sites are hosted on this server.
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Registrant:
ulm, monte
   ATTN 4FORUMS.COM
   care of Network Solutions
   PO Box 459
   Drums, PA.  US  18222
   
   Domain Name: 4FORUMS.COM

   Administrative Contact:
      ulm, monte                
      ATTN 4FORUMS.COM
      care of Network Solutions
      PO Box 459
      Drums, PA 18222
      US
      570-708-8780
      
   Technical Contact:
      Hostmaster, Icom DNS                
      ATTN 4FORUMS.COM
      care of Network Solutions
      PO Box 459
      Drums, PA 18222
      US
      570-708-8780
      
BEWARE OF 4FORUMS. DON'T ALLOW YOUR CHILDREN TO POST THERE.

[Bingolong]

11:44 PM on 04/16/2010

Well, in defense of Bush, his daughters were limited to the amount of time they could do stripping on line.

[nilotic]

03:20 PM on 04/16/2010

What Mrs. Obama said is standard for responsible and engaged parents. She is more than ten years older than me, but I can relate to what she is saying about changes in communication.

[hypnotoad72]

01:49 PM on 04/16/2010

Mrs. Obama rocks!

As to the article, let's quote this:

"CNN en Espanol (ehs-puhn-YOHL') "

Corrected version:

"CNN en Español (ehs-puhn-YOHL') "

[TheSardonicAtheist]

11:41 AM on 04/16/2010

I don't understand how she's constituted as "smart" when almost every other "paranoid" parent out there does the exact same thing.

[hypnotoad72]

01:50 PM on 04/16/2010

Not all parents do that, and the First Lady - unlike tighty-righties' representatives, is a role model.

[sheputstheLinPAIN]

04:55 PM on 04/16/2010

I believe her successful educational career, success as a lawyer, being a good parent and being well-spoken are what most people conclude as her being "smart".

[MrVee]

10:42 AM on 04/16/2010

She's a good mother and responsible parent. There is too much crap on the net for children and she is right to monitor what her children gets involved with.

Michelle Obama reminds me of moms from back in the day. They were about limiting the risks to almost zero. Now a days, parents depend largely on the legal system to protect their children. So when there is an affront,and there almost always going to be, the response is "I'll sue". Meanwhile images your child should NOT have seen ends up being stored on their computers. Can't un-ring a bell.

I still say Google and Bing should allow parents to password changes to surf results. They have this option any child could change to allow any result to display during a search and that should be secured.

But that's another rant.

Mothers like Michelle Obama and my mother for that matter, ain't about that. They keep you out of the line of fire to begin with so the child is protected. Good job First Lady.

[AllenFromAtlanta]

09:28 AM on 04/16/2010

"We ask a lot of questions about what our kids are doing while they are on the computer,"

Perfect, active parents in their children's lives. Don't let computers and video games raise your kids!

My son get's no computer (unless it deals with homework) or video game or TV time during the week if he's in school. And on the weekends he gets 1 hour a day of TV or Wii/DSi or computer time.

[davecarlson]

07:46 AM on 04/16/2010

I like these brown people that tell it like it is.....

http://www.cbn.com/media/asx.aspx?VideoPath=mms://sm1.cbn.org/vod/JWI63_JuanWilliams_041510_WS_H.wmv?WMBitrate=500000

[AllenFromAtlanta]

09:14 AM on 04/16/2010

WTF?

[TaiTai]

02:20 AM on 04/17/2010

Yes. Juan Williams certainly does know how to talk to crazy people. Interesting interview, actually.

[alleycat32]

07:34 AM on 04/16/2010

There it is pointing again. If she needs a place to put that finger I would suggestion Palins mouth as it is always open.

[Guytar]

06:43 AM on 04/16/2010

Last night in Australia we just watched a great interview with President Obama on our national public broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC).

Obama was confident, intelligent, gentle and charismatic in this presidential interview. And he remembered good kindness from locals when he travelled in Australia as a young man.

[Fuggettaboutit]

06:24 AM on 04/16/2010

we don't need an angry black woman pointing at us and telling us what to do!

[Guytar]

07:02 AM on 04/16/2010

You need a lot of love and care.

[CitizenKane16]

08:35 AM on 04/16/2010

And a hug.

[nerakami]

07:13 AM on 04/16/2010

where in this article she talked about anyone but her daughters, her husband and herself? You're aiming arrows where there's no target.. she never mentioned about anyone else but her family.... go back to bed and hopefully wake up with a new consciousness... and by the way, the angry black woman thing is oh so pas·sé...

[naeldwyck]

04:56 AM on 04/16/2010

"ehs-puhn-YOHL"

HP didn't even bother to delete the pronunciation cue from the generic @P story

[naeldwyck]

04:56 AM on 04/16/2010

"ehs-puhn-YOHL"

HuffPo didn't even bother to delete the pronunciation cue from the generic AP story

[Barbie and Ken forever]

03:46 AM on 04/16/2010

What a truly great family the Obamas are!!!!! :D

[amber15]

03:40 AM on 04/16/2010

what lucky kids!! to have great mom and a dad that is so smart!!!