I am amazed at the popularity of websites like myspace.com among high school students. Many of my students have a myspace and regularly update it with pictures, comments, and intimate details of their lives. I truly do not believe they realize that absolutely anyone can access their site and take advantage of the information they are sharing. They seem to think that the title of the website is literal – this is their space to do with as they please. Unfortunately they are sometimes dangerously misled in that belief.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported this week on a “joke” posted on the myspace site of 15 year old twin girls that got them arrested. They posted what they claim was a fake death threat against other students in their school and didn’t realize that it would be seen by people who would take it seriously. This is not an isolated incident, many kids have been gettin in trouble with authorities for posted threats on myspace and similar sites. Threats made by children are one thing; threats to children open up a whole new area of concern that many parents aren’t familiar with.
MSNBC reported on the dangers of children sharing too much information on sites like myspace. These sites are virtually an open door for pedophiles, stalkers and murderers. Studies have found that most parents are not aware of the dangers of sites like these until it is too late. Children need to be warned about the dangers of sharing any personal information on the web; not only because of predators but because of identity theft issues as well.
There is another, less ominous, downfall to teenagers who post too much on myspace. A coworker of mine who also coaches regularly checks the myspace sites of the kids on her team to make sure they aren’t doing anything they shouldn’t be involved in. Out of curiosity I did the same with my own students and was amazed at some of the content I saw posted. There were pictures of them drinking alcohol, baring too much skin, and participating in other activities that are illegal at their age, not to mention the language they use! When confronted with this the students invariably complain about the invasion of privacy, which only proves that they do not realize that anything they post on there is accessible to anyone who wants to find it. And, what may be worse, once it’s out in cyberspace, it’s very hard to get rid of.
What this amounts to is the need for more education about new technology and its effects. Sites like myspace can be very positive tools for staying connected with friends and family members, but, like anything, they need to be used responsibly. This is the future of communication and it needs to be understood so that it can remain a positive experience for those who use it. Technology changes so quickly that most of us aren’t even familiar with what is out there. Kids have an advantage here because it is already a part of their lives, but unfortunately that is why they don’t realize the dangers. Parents and educators must be aware of what kids are doing and help them navigate their way through the potential dangers of literally having the whole world at the tips of their fingers.
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