Internet Safety Tips
Keeping Kids Safe In the Age of MySpace and Facebook
MySpace pages can open up a whole new world but if kids aren't careful, these same pages can stop young people from going places.
Negative Impact of MySpace Pages
For many young people MySpace, the popular social networking site, is a place to showcase their talents and interests and make connections with new friends and old. What these young people may not realize is that page views are not always limited to friends in their clique. So if your child thinks posting racy pictures or scenes depicting inappropriate or illegal activities will be harmless fun between Internet friends, he or she should think again.
Employers and even college admissions staff are increasingly turning to sites such as MySpace and Facebook to learn about potential students or employees. Competition can be fierce in certain employment sectors and among incoming freshman students; all other things being equal decision makers may turn to the Internet to weed out candidates that profile behaviors not in keeping with corporate or collegiate culture.
Parents can help their kids stay in the running by considering the following tips.
- Talk with your children about Internet accessibility. If it’s out there everyone (including unintended eyes) has access to whatever you post.
- Review the sites and all information that your children have made available on the Internet.
- If you find inappropriate content on any sites connected to your children, be sure that they disassociate themselves and/or clean up those sites immediately. If that is not possible, another idea may be to introduce some balance; for example, highlight their community involvement or other civic contributions.
- Remind your child that a few moments of irresponsibility can yield long-term and unpleasant consequences. Help them protect all of their hard work through high school and/or college by maintaining a positive image that helps them get the job.
Things Parents Don’t Know About MySpace (or Facebook)
- Many young people post information about their classes, schedules, hobbies, schools, friends and favorite hang-out spots.
- More than 50 million members have created MySpace pages.
- Young people often build relationships with literally hundreds of MySpace friends.
- Although most of these are harmless relationships, it is important to note that thousands of MySpace members are stalkers or predators pretending to share the interests of their intended victims.
- Predators and stalkers can easily use the personal information posted to gain access to your child without your knowledge.
- Many teens do not restrict their sites to friends and family, which means everyone can see everything they post.
- At least sixty percent of young people have created and uploaded personal sites.
- At least a third of those include pictures on their sites.
- Becoming a member of a social networking site is free.
- Many pages depict members engaging in inappropriate activities such as simulated sex, or posed in underwear.
- Some children maintain “dummy” sites; one for parent’s eyes and one that parent’s are never intended to see.
