My Space, My Life?

Ask any AIS high school (and probably middle school) student what MySpace is, and she'll show you her profile. The incredibly popular Web site, originally designed for musicians and artists, allows kids to share information, talk to their friends, and keep up on trends in their social circles. There are other sites that kids are using, like FaceBook (www.facebook.com) and Xanga (www.xanga.com), but MySpace makes up 81% of social networking use. A typical MySpace site has the user's name, a picture, a list of friends, and a blog detailing his daily activities. Kids use MySpace to advertise parties, vent about parents, and just share their lives. The problem is that the site is completely public and searchable to anyone on the 'Net, so MySpace has recently gotten a lot of publicity as a hunting ground for predators. Also, kids often feel free to post information about activities they may not want the world to know in retrospect. US News and World Report featured MySpace on the front page of its September 18th issue (the article can be read at: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060910/18myspace.htm). The article offered these tips for parents whose kids use MySpace-type sites:
1. Get Involved. You wouldn't let your child attend a party if you didn't know who would be there, right? Many parents who keep a close watch on their kids' "real world" friends seem afraid to tred into the virtual world. But if your child is spending hours a day there, you should be seeing what she's doing. Ask to see her profile, and check on it often. BlogSafety.com (www.blogsafety.com) gives other tips for keeping tabs on 'Net activity.
2. Talk About Internet Safety. Make sure your child understands that his profile is public. He shouldn't post any identifying information that could be "googled," such as last name, school name, or street address.
3. Encourage Net-iquette. Explain to your child that her profile is the face she shows the world. She should refrain from saying anything about other people that she wouldn't say in person. Also, while talking about drinking or other illicit activities may make her seem "cool," she may be burned by those posts later. The Washington Post recently ran an article identifying colleges who are perusing MySpace pages of potential candidates for admission.

Is your child on MySpace? Share your stories and advice here!