MySpaceSafetyTips.com

When parents first discover MySpace, the initial reaction can be shock, followed by a response of “I will not allow my kids to go to this site.” Unfortunately, this type of response is not the answer, except in the case where the child is underage (13 and younger, in the case of MySpace.com). Banning MySpace isn’t an answer because the use of “social networking” Web sites like MySpace is considered a normal part of everyday life by a majority of teens. MySpace is hardly the only social networking site: there are Xanga, Friendster, FaceBook, and many others. Over 200 such sites were recently counted by one organization. These sites are very easy to start if you’ve got basic computer scripting talent, at a level that many high school teens and college students have today. Banning such sites won’t help. If something’s “normal” then young people will seek it out–when you’re not at home or not monitoring the computer, or using the computer at the home of a friend who is allowed to use MySpace, or with a computer at school or in the library. This is part of today’s normal life for teens. It doesn’t appear that things are going to change any time soon. So, what’s the appropriate response for parents? To get accustomed to the new world–to join MySpace, find out what it’s about, learn about and teach your teens about the risks, and ideally to enjoy participating with them in this new form of interaction that has become normal for the generation that is in its teens and early twenties right now. If you choose not to share these experiences with your children, then you may find yourself losing contact with them as they grow up and leave home as new adults.