Concerns about cyber-networking?

Like most schools, we are doing our best to emphasize the dangers of social networking sites like MySpace.com. It's one of the most popular sites among teens and claims nearly 60 million members, with many of our students as frequent visitors to the popular teen chat website.

For the most part, parents and teens get the message. But warnings may not be enough to convince the kids to be safe. I've talked with concerned and frustrated parents, teachers, and administrators who have tried talking with their students…but teens can be especially skeptical of parental-like advice from anyone.

If the kids think you're just paranoid or nosey, let them read about the dangers of MySpace and similar sites for themselves. Sad stories related to these sites unfold every day. Just browse news stories on Google News or Yahoo! News for "MySpace.com" and you're bound to find one. This really happens, and predators are often willing to travel across the country to lure children and teens. Let them read these stories and try to explain how they may be impervious (e.g., restricting data about themselves and their families) where other kids are not.

An example of the dangers of on-line networking is the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office’s urging parents to be more cautious about their children's Internet usage following at least four incidents involving cyber predators on popular online teen networking Web sites like MySpace.com.
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One common problem with these sites is the issue of “identity theft” where teens or adults can anonymously create derogatory sites using another person’s name or identity. When discovered, notification to the site’s webmaster will get it removed, but such sites are a growing problem for teachers, administrators, and corporations. As is often the case, these sites are initially created by teens as a form of “humorous” (their perception) satirical venting, but they can quickly go too far when others from around the world join in and add comments or pictures that can be outrageously inappropriate and even libelous—which can result in legal prosecution.

MySpace, Xanga, and Facebook are all a part of a modern teen’s life and, for the most part, fairly harmless ways for teens to connect. However, besides the more obvious “I didn’t have time to do my homework!” excuse (common when someone spends far too much time networking in cyberspace), there are real dangers for them out there that they may not realize. Here at school, we monitor and ban their access to such sites from our computers. But do you know where your children are cyber-traveling outside of school? You might want to look for yourselves and let your children show you. This could turn out to be one of the most crucial conversations you will ever have with them.