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S. Smith Moderator
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Lots of things have been printed about MySpace and other similar types of accounts. What do you think about them? Are they harmless ways to document what's going on in everyday life? Do you see any danger or potentially harmful issues associated with them? I'm also working on an article on this topic. If you or someone you know has a comment you'd like to share with me, please e-mail it to sandra@nwobserver.com. Please let me know whether it would be okay to publish your comments and if I may use your name. Last edited on Mar 28th, 2007 03:59 pm by S. Smith |
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bama80 Member 
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Can't help you on this one. MySpace came about one year after i graduated college. Otherwise, I might have been in the thick of it. Instead I was blessed with Napster, message boards, and Instant Messenger. ->Relative dinosaurs compared to the newer things. I hardly know a thing about MySpace, other than the web address.->Nor do care to. It just doesn't interest me. I never got into the whole FaceBook thing either. |
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TCat Member 
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We have a few pages for those in our house. I think they can be good and harmless fun... for those who are mature enough. There have been lots of issues lately with spamming and kids getting approached by adults through their site. There are also concerns with putting too much information and visuals out on the net for anyone to see and spread around. People have been able to use the MySpace pages with lots of "friends" to gather information and use it in negative ways. It concerns me to see some of the info being put up there by kids who don't realize what the negative consequences can be. And many times their parents aren't even aware of the fact that they have the pages and what the "dangers" can be. On the other hand, I think there will soon be a breaking point because a new fun site will be created and will catch on. Especially as more companies are using MySpace for marketing purposes, the trendsetters will realize it is no longer cool and will move on to something else. |
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bama80 Member
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Oh and btw, MySpace isnt the only controversial site on the internet. I think parents should monitor all use of the internet if possible. And remember, your kid knows way more than you think they know. POssibly more than you know about computers. |
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Cracker Jax Member 
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I KNOW my kids know more that I know about computers! Have you ever tried to set up a Myspace Page? Whoa! I think it's amazing what they have to know just to get a fancy background or music or whatever added to the page. I learned a lot there....quickly forgot it, but sorta like algebra, I know I learned it once.... My kids know that they don't use the computer if I don't have the passwords to anything and everything they do on it. I actually helped my daughter set her Myspace page up. We had fun doing it together. Pretty much all identifying info that's on the page is bogus other than her photos and her name, and most of her friends have theirs set up the same way. I also visit it (with her password) more frequently than she does, and it all seems pretty innocent to me so I don't really mind it. Somehow she has it set up so that it's "private" so only her friends can access it, but as we've all learned, the www offers no true privacy. |
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Anna Diemer Member
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Well, I have a Myspace, so you can ask me specific questions if need be ^_^ From what I've experienced, Myspace is mostly a middle school phenomenon, since most high school and college students use Facebook. I primarily use my Facebook, which is a more secure system since you have to be in someone's network or friends with them to see their profile. Personally, I think that Myspace is poorly designed--it is too easy to put too many things on your page from a visual standpoint. Also, it is obviously dangerous to put too much personal information on the internet, no matter what site you're using. You have to make sure your kids are being mature about it or regulate what information they're allowed to disclose. If you want to, I can share my Myspace page...though it hasn't been updated since about September. The value in websites like this is the social networking that it allows. Mind you, I don't use Myspace anymore, but through Facebook, I can keep in touch with any of my friends away at college, ones that I met at summer programs or choral festivals, and friends that I go to school with. It's far easier to keep up with your friends that way instead of relying on email for communication. Both Myspace and Facebook have private messaging systems that can take the place of sending someone an email. However, both websites are an extreme cause of procrastination, especially on calculus homework! Haha. I think I've ranted enough for now ^_^ |
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Skiddles Member 
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Maybe we can talk through our children's myspace Crackah?! Two of my children do have a myspace account. I also have both of their passwords or it's, no myspace. They know that I will not pry into their lives "too much." However, they do know that I love them very much, I will do my best to stay connected, keep them safe and give them the trust that they have earned. We have a computer in the kitchen so conversations stay there. They both have a secure account which means, only they can approve someone into their profile. I also helped my children pick out her backgrounds and songs, plus look at friends pixs, talk about how her friends are and what new news they have. Myspace can be a wonderful parenting tool if used correctly. Now...It is a given that Mom may check their page at anytime and I have, but I have never found anything of concern. Therefor, I have no problems with them having a myspace account.  |
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Cracker Jax Member
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I'll add you to my circle skiddles!!!! |
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Skiddles Member
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Woo-Woo... I'll approve you in a second CJ! |
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Lilly Spears Member
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The only objection that I so far have come across with myspace was a poll that was sent to my child from his girlfriend. I did not know what it was at the time, but as my child read me the questions I immediately put a stop to him answering. The poll was called 'The Good Boyfriend'. I heard questions such as "if your parents weren't home, would you call me to come over?" Then this one really blew my mind, "Have you ever wanted to do something to me? If so, what?'. You can imagine what I was thinking. I later found out the intentions of the poll were quite innocent. But I felt such questions could lead to promiscuity leading to the unthinkable right now. Have any of your kids had such questionares? |
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DOGGETTJA Member 
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I know some one who probably didn't get a job because of what was on his myspace site. Everybody needs to be careful. Big employers are checking these sites before they hire employees. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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I used to post on MySpace but got so tired of Jennifer Anniston and Paris Hilton bugging me for an invitation to visit Stokesdale, that I finally threw up my hands and dropped the MS account. What a hassle that was. |
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bama80 Member
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aha responding to Jane's post about employers- I googled my name to see waht would pop up and many people with great things came up. People with awards for services, authors, inventor types. Too bad none of the people foudn were really me!  So, I guess employers can look all they want for my info. mu hahaha |
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gotobeme Member 
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I believe sometimes we see what we want to from every kind of perspective to what society says about internet activity. I have found that it can be very safe if the right perimeters are in place for our kids and for our own use. Myspace and Facebook can be used for good and bad things and both are policed by the webmasters. So if anyone send something or says something that you dont like or is inappropriate, they can be reported. I have seen this action personally. I use both to keep up with some of my friends who use myspace and facebook. Let's keep the blame where it belongs and that is on the person who uses these sites for their own pleasures, whatever they may be. We all have a choice to make whenever we do something whether right or wrong. I believe many times we forget that and place the blame on the makers of these sites and not the users. Gotobeme |
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S. Smith Moderator
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gotobeme wrote: I believe sometimes we see what we want to from every kind of perspective to what society says about internet activity. I have found that it can be very safe if the right perimeters are in place for our kids and for our own use. Myspace and Facebook can be used for good and bad things and both are policed by the webmasters. So if anyone send something or says something that you dont like or is inappropriate, they can be reported. I have seen this action personally. I use both to keep up with some of my friends who use myspace and facebook. Let's keep the blame where it belongs and that is on the person who uses these sites for their own pleasures, whatever they may be. We all have a choice to make whenever we do something whether right or wrong. I believe many times we forget that and place the blame on the makers of these sites and not the users. gtbm, I agree that the Internet is not inherently evil. There are so many great things now available at our fingertips. In fact, it has made my job so much easier as far as researching topics and even communicating like this. But are some people using myspace, facebook, etc. in ways that might not necessarily be so inappropriate that it would be reported, but would their parents be shocked? And how often are activities actually reported? Do many parents even know if their kids have one of these accounts? Yes, we all make choices, but do kids sometimes make decisions without realizing the implications? |
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TCat Member
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I make my living with the Internet and think it is invaluable - as a tool and as entertainment. My issue is just as you said - with those posting. And my concern is that many, teens especially from what I've seen, post about themselves and their friends in ways that show poor judgement. From sexually explicit/suggestive writing and images to just bad language. They are so busy trying to impress each other that they are not thinking about the fact that everyone can see this now and potentially in the future. It's amazing how much you can learn about a person just through their own page and linking through their "friends" pages. I know of two big family issues that have been spurred by what the teen kids in the family have posted on their pages. Plus, if colleges (not just employers) start searching these sites, they do not convey very appropriate information. If I were a college admissions manager looking at these kid's pages, they could be negatively impacted. That's just one example. And I know a lot of parents that don't see the harm but would be shocked if they saw their kid's real page (do you think they show you the "real" one? Don't bet on it) Last edited on Apr 12th, 2007 05:50 pm by TCat |
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BreBre Member 
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I think mypace is a good website. You can use it to find old classmates and it's FREE. I used to be on classmates and I had a paid subscription, but even then you couldn't view your classmates email. With myspace you can IM directly. It's great. |
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GRITS Member
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parents who are involved in knowing what is going on, on their child's my space account are doing the right thing. If a parent is not--then they should. My child is only twelve and I already have learned of things that are going on at school, on the bus or in the community. Not all is good--if I did't see this being shared on myspace and being discussed with his friends, I wouldn't have even known that another 12 yr is going to kick his___! Yes I am aware that they are only 12 - but this behavior should not be displayed, and whatever it was that my son said, probably shouldn't have happened either. Let's just say, if he comes home from school one day with a bloody nose, I will know who to go to. I have my pros and cons of this website since it is so controversial--my child does need his privacy, but I am also a parent that must provide guidance. |
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Gestalt Member 
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GRITS wrote: I have my pros and cons of this website since it is so controversial--my child does need his privacy, but I am also a parent that must provide guidance. Good point GRITS. My defining criteria is when the activies involved in my childs quest for "privacy" start to violate my own privacy, then it's time for parental action. When a child wants to "privately" engate in the wrong types of activities on the internet, then the wrong types have invaded the privacy of my home, and they get booted out. Admittedly kids can be sneaky, so parents have an obligation to periodically invade their childens "privacy" for a sneak peak. Last edited on Apr 15th, 2007 01:43 pm by Gestalt |
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