MySpace is a great outlet for teens to beef up their popularity with a secret side.
Problems
Technology / myspace
The MySpace phenomenon
Communication on the internet is crazy; and for some teenagers, it's an addiction in of itself. The biggest craze right now, as most of you know, is Myspace.com. If you don't know what this is, well, let me get you back into the loop of things.
Myspace.com is exactly what it states: your space. It's your own space on the internet to upload your pictures, your music, your biography, your stories, and your messages with friends. You are able to customize your web page into a clutter of whatever you want to share with the world. Overall, it's a network of people communicating on the internet—and it's free!
The biggest advantage is that you can keep in touch with your friends through these pages. You post a message on someone else's web page. Then you wait eagerly in the day to get a response. It's this network of communication that makes Myspace so successful.
However, the biggest disadvantage is just the same. For those of you saying “what?” right now, there is something you do not understand. There are millions of people on Myspace. Don't let the word “friends” confuse you. Your child can send and receive messages from anyone that can read their profile.
You're not the person I remember…
When I was told about the Myspace craze, I found myself looking at the profiles of old classmates and coworkers. I also discovered a different side to these people that I once knew. I rarely found a page without a picture slideshow of them chugging down a drink, and I can't say that I ever found a page with someone bragging about their success after high school. Alcohol, drugs, sex, parties…those are the topic leaders.
The never-ending links and groups
Myspace has more communication than with just individual “friends.” You can also join all sorts of groups. There are groups for schools, sport clubs, music, art…but these are not necessarily the groups to worry about.
There are also many bad groups. There are drug groups where teens give away their secret drug concoctions and share stories of their “high” experiences. These groups can provide links to other outside groups and message boards discussing the same thing. You can be in a dangerous drug area right in the comfort of your own home.
Drug dealing and sharing is definitely possible through Myspace. This is because the internet has a great mask to wear; and chances are, parents don’t have enough understanding of the internet to even be aware of these communication methods.
The revealing profile mistakes
Many teens on Myspace are unaware of where the limits should be set when sharing information. Many make themselves very “searchable” by providing their first and last name. They may also provide the locations of their home, their schools, and their work.
Then there is the conversations people have on their pages. Some teens post meeting information or plans for their day in these conversations. Do you know who can see this information? It could be a “friend”, yes, but it could also be a stalker learning your routine and every move. When you say you're going to “this place” later in the day, you may also be inviting an unexpected and dangerous visitor.
Privacy settings? Why go through the trouble?
Myspace does provide information on how to be safe through their network. However, I can bet that people look right over that. When you sign up for Myspace, you just want to get started! You don't care about safety—that’s too boring to read!
Myspace also provides privacy settings to keep your profile “private.” This means that the only people who can see your profile are people that you accept as your “friend.” In other words, you must be invited as a friend. But this raises the important question yet again—do you know all of your child's friends?
Is it a phase? It really doesn't matter.
Myspace has made a large impact with the way people communicate over the internet. When used properly, Myspace can be a useful source of advertising and networking with people of your interests, for this is its true purpose.
There are many other ways of communicating on the internet, including similar Myspace networks, message boards, instant messaging…the list is quite long. Whether Myspace is a phase or not, its concept of communication will never go away.
I'm going to take a confident assumption that your child has a Myspace, and I'm going to make another that you have never seen your child's Myspace page. If you ever run into it, you certainly don't want to be asking yourself “is that my child?”
Communication with your child is the most important; and if you're set with this, there should be no surprises.
