Parent Advisory » MySpace Overview
What is it?
MySpace is a social networking site that allows people to interact via a number of mediums such as blogs, chat and forums. There are well over 100 million user accounts on MySpace. The site is the most popular site on the internet, surpassing Google.
Users have different rules depending on the age of the user. Age verification appears to be nothing more than an honor system – enter your date of birth. With that being said, the dangers of MySpace are real. The following URL’s links to stories of real predators using this tool to their advantage:
http://www.ktvz.com/story.cfm?storyID=10308
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11065951/site/newsweek/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11644084/
MySpace Primer
How-To Primers hosts a detailed, informative primer on the use of MySpace. The document, authored by Kevin and Dale Farnham, is available at: http://www.howtoprimers.com/downloadData/MySpacePrimer.pdf.
Five Tips for Parents to share with their teens:
- De-identify yourself
Never share intimate nor identifying information about yourself. Such items may include, but are not limited to: name, school name, school city, home city, home address, phone number, and photos that may allude to any of the aforementioned items. This information should not be input in any of the mediums MySpace offers.
- Avoid extraneous information
Point two is a corollary to point one. There are areas where users can input information such as body type, school information, marital status, sexual orientation. There are a number of data elements that a parent may deem inappropriate or extraneous.
- Review your teen’s profile
There are aspects of the site that are not appropriate for teenagers. For example, one of the sections asks about relationships married, single, divorce, swinger, etc. There is another section where the user can state sexual orientation. Parents should communicate to their teens the sections that should be avoided. There are features that allow your teen’s profile to remain private – open only to friends.
- Keep your teen accountable
Communicate with your teen your intentions to periodically review what occurs within their profile. Encourage your teen and your teen’s friends to keep an eye on one another’s profiles.
- Create your own profile
Developing your own profile on MySpace will enable you to understand the value your teen sees in this tool. The experience will also equip you with an understanding of the MySpace site and its positive and negative aspects.
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