Evil on MySpace – children beware!
Are sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter any different than hanging out at malls, parking lots, or other places where kids used to go?
Are sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter any different than hanging out at malls, parking lots, or other places where kids used to go?
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20061091,00.html
The piece recounts one parent’s nightmare of a child predator trying to “befriend” her 12-year-old daughter which eventually led to a police arrest. This is one example why children need to be monitored when using the computer. Unfortunately, there are many sites like MySpace where children can be exposed to the seamier side of social networking. For those who haven’t heard of MySpace, it is an online community which offers a variety of tools and features for users to create personal pages, stay connected to one another by chatting, blogging and instant messaging. It also has groups and forums for just about any topic. The site is alluring to teens who may be bored or very curious to know what other people are posting. One of the big draws to MySpace is the need for young acults to voice opinions and then check to see what comments follow. This need to constantly check posts has become a problem to young adults and can even affect judgement in the "real" world.
Quote:
Common sense would say that social networking is not all bad. Most social Networking Sites like MySpace are monitored by employees, right?... However, things can slip through the net. Things like viruses, pirated music, pornography, and more can infect an innocent user in the fraction of a second it takes to push a button. It takes an active user base to bring attention to what content is acceptable and what is not. More users mean more things to take advantage of –both good and bad. Negligence should not be tolerated where child safety is a concern. Parents, teachers, and youth leaders must educate children of the potential dangers of online communication based upon the growing popularity and use of these types of websites.
Similar articles:
The piece recounts one parent’s nightmare of a child predator trying to “befriend” her 12-year-old daughter which eventually led to a police arrest. This is one example why children need to be monitored when using the computer. Unfortunately, there are many sites like MySpace where children can be exposed to the seamier side of social networking. For those who haven’t heard of MySpace, it is an online community which offers a variety of tools and features for users to create personal pages, stay connected to one another by chatting, blogging and instant messaging. It also has groups and forums for just about any topic. The site is alluring to teens who may be bored or very curious to know what other people are posting. One of the big draws to MySpace is the need for young acults to voice opinions and then check to see what comments follow. This need to constantly check posts has become a problem to young adults and can even affect judgement in the "real" world.
Quote:
“Geared for teens and young adults—20 percent of the site's visitors are between 14 and 17—MySpace owes much of its popularity to the fact that, unlike old-fashioned chat rooms, it allows members to upload photographs and video clips to their own pages and include information about themselves. But along with success MySpace has also generated considerable controversy. Crimes as serious as murder and rape have been linked to teens using the site, which has also become a preferred venue for cyber-bullies and online pedophiles. Kids have posted tales—and photos—of their alleged drinking and drug use. Even a casual visitor can quickly encounter raunchy, explicit sexual advice or memoirs. As a result, a growing number of schools around the country have blocked access to the site.”
Common sense would say that social networking is not all bad. Most social Networking Sites like MySpace are monitored by employees, right?... However, things can slip through the net. Things like viruses, pirated music, pornography, and more can infect an innocent user in the fraction of a second it takes to push a button. It takes an active user base to bring attention to what content is acceptable and what is not. More users mean more things to take advantage of –both good and bad. Negligence should not be tolerated where child safety is a concern. Parents, teachers, and youth leaders must educate children of the potential dangers of online communication based upon the growing popularity and use of these types of websites.
Similar articles:
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteI agree that with more users their is always potential for good and bad. But this applies to most things in life, if the mall or school as more teens in it the risk of an incidenent goes up. I like how you talk about how we should educate our children of the potential dangers. its education the best weapon against predators...I enjoyed reading your posting.
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteYour points about potential dangers are well made. Sexting is becoming a greater problem in schools, even in middle schools. Education is the key and potential benefits of SNS without forbidding all access by youth (which would not happen anyway) is the tool that we need to harness in schools.
Thanks for your interesting post.