Is Myspace.com A Dangerous Website for Children?

I think most of us have heard of Myspace. The website has generated much controversy ranging from rape and murder to child predators and drug dealers. While having such a negative impact on society, it has also had a very positive one as well. It has created an avenue which allows bands and politicians to promote theirselves free of charge and create a following. A few bands have been signed by major record labels just because they were seen on Myspace. Also, women’s groups and non profit organizations are able to get PR from myspace and gain supporters.

On a more personal social standpoint, the everyday person is able to grow a large network of friends. Some people have a network of over 10,000 friends on myspace. Each member is able to communicate with their friends by email and bulk bulletins that are sent to your entire network. This enables a person from America to easily talk to others all over the world. Each member recieves a free webpage, blog, email address and URl to customize they wish. The age limit is restriced to people older than 16, which of course is not strictly enforced.

How can we protect our children from the dangers of Myspace? Parents who have internet access and children under 16 years of age need to strongly be aware of what their children are doing online. Many young girls have created profiles on Myspace pretending to be much older, therefore being contacted by older men. Parents must stress to their children the dangers of such websites and strictly forbid them from visiting sites that allows them to correspond with other people. Myspace is too large to be monitored for minors, we must rely on parents to govern their children, allowing Myspace to remain a wonderful place for the rest of us.