Lori Fullmer
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![[*]](./images/corporate/default_icon.gif) posted on 2-3-2006 at 02:56 PM |
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Parents, is your child on myspace.com?
This is taken from a SLC TV Station (link provided at the bottom).
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(KUTV) SALT LAKE CITY, Utah Parents pay close attention. Have you heard of MySpace.com? Your kids know all about it, and they are probably involved in
this extremely popular internet site. But as 2News discovered, having your own personal website can come with a big price.
Without a doubt, MySpace.com the most popular teen site in the world, and it is used by millions upon millions of people. If you're not familiar with
it – you should be. 2News takes you inside the website that is horrifying parents and law enforcement alike.
Explicit photographs, obscene language, accounts of drinking, drugs and partying – it's not a pornographic website – it's MySpace.com. Chances are
your teenager has been there.
“I think it's like, fun to like look at their pictures and keep up with everyone at school,” one young girl told 2News.
MySpace.com is a social networking website where kids can post pictures, express themselves, connect with friends or hook up with new ones.
“Friends from other school, you don't see them often and you can keep in touch with them through that,” says the girl. “We met some boys on it.”
Many of the postings are fun and innocent.
“Some pictures that the parents might not want to see,” says Special Agent Patrick Kiernan with the FBI’s Internet Task Force.
Others are not. 2News logged on and within minutes found images of teenage drinking and sexual activity from kids who attend local high schools.
“Don't be surprised if you find your kids on it. They are on it. They are,” says Diana Gardner, teacher at Cottonwood High School.
Gardner says if parents took the time to navigate MySpace.com, they would be in for the shock of their lives.
“I think not only would they feel shocked and appalled, but betrayed and stupid – you know, how naive we are?” says Gardner.
That's what happened to Chris Watts when she logged on and found her daughter's site.
“I sure did. It was very interesting. I was not very happy,” says Watts.
Not happy, because even if your child's site may seem ok, if you click on a friend’s site, and one of their friends sites, and so on.
“You peel away the layers of MySpace.com and you get to a very ugly place in a very short time,” says Watts.
“It took my husband only three links and he was on a [Censored] site,” says Gardner.
The inappropriate content is only part of the concern.
“Most of these children on these sites – and I say children because they're very young – just believe it's a personal communication between
themselves and friends. However, when they write one of these comments, they don't realize that it’s opening up to anybody who goes on to their
profile,” says FBI Special Agent Patrick Kiernan.
Anybody can see the profile virtually anywhere in the world. Utah's FBI Internet Task Force says predators could use MySpace.com to target
children.
“You are bringing the outside world into your house and strangers can come in through that internet just like they can come through your front door,”
says Special Agent Kiernan.
Kiernan showed 2News just how easy it is – using just a few simple facts one Utah teen posted on MySpace.com, the agent quickly finds out his name and
school – all he used was the internet – and in less than 5 minutes he was able to pull up his home address on an online map.
“There's where he lives, with driving directions to it and with Google earth, you can actually pull up a satellite photo of the kid’s house,” says
Kiernan.
Predators can also use fake photos to pose as another teen with similar interests, and try to strike up a friendship.
“If they're gong to put all their information, the next thing they are is their going to meet somebody who they completely trust as a nice boy from
another high school,” says Gardner.
Already, several crimes have been associated with MySpace.com. Police say gang members are using the site as a tool to organize. Here in Utah, a
teenager was allegedly threatened by a MySpace.com user.
“She just kept hitting me, and hitting me,” said another Utah teen who was attacked, allegedly the result of a MySpace correspondence.
Schools are cracking down. Districts – including Salt Lake, Granite and Jordan – have completely blocked the website from school computers. MySpace
does have safety features, like privacy blocks and bans on offensive material, but with 47 million members, content guidelines are difficult to
police.
Many are saying it’s up to parents to protect their kids.
First, never assume your child isn't participating.
“’I know other kids are doing it, but my kid would never do that.’ Never, never assume that. Always check. That's the number one rule,” says Gardner.
Leave your computer in a central location in your home, and monitor what your kids do on the internet. If your kids are using MySpace, make sure they
know they should never list any personal information and let them know you'll be using your computer's parental controls to monitor their
activity.
“This is a time to know what your child is doing on the internet at all times,” says Special Agent Kiernan.
Law enforcement officials say the computer age is no time for laid back parenting. Chris Watts got computer savvy. She now has her own MySpace account
so she can monitor her child's activity any time she likes.
“I made my own and now I can go anywhere I want and see anything I want to, and I do,” says Watts.
If you want to check MySpace, search under your child's name, school, names of friends, or your computer's cookies. Officials with MySpace told
2News that one-third of its staff is dedicated to scanning for objectionable material, and removing members under the age of 14 which is prohibited.
Of course, the member could simply lie about their age.
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www.kutv.com
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Stephanie Lewis
Newbie
Posts: 1
Registered: 5-17-2008
Member Is Offline
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| posted on 5-17-2008 at 05:47 PM |
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Thank you for your information. I just found out that some
friend of my daughter's registered her on my space. Of course I deleted the account but I never thought I would have to watch her or screen her
emails. Of course she is 12 years old and very curious so thanks for the info.
Stephanie Lewis
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