How Myspace Changed My Life

Myspace...it's the newest way to express yourself, keep in touch with the local gossip, meet old and new friends, and just have fun. But lately all I've been hearing is the negative aspects of Myspace. A place where sexual predators prey, a place where stalkers do their stalking, and a place where hackers have their fun.

Personally, I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for Myspace...

It all began in 2005... I was like every other person in the worked. My love life was lacking. I had gone from a three year controlling relationship to a five year open relationship and I was looking for commitment and that someone special that thought I was they're someone special. So I browsed all the dating sites and stumbled upon Myspace.

At first I just used it as a place to find old friends and stay in touch with the far away friends. I was always denying requests from strangers who wanted to add me as their friend. No one seemed to know how to make the correct first impression as a good one. Every message was "Your hot, wanna chat?' or "hey your cute, want to be my friend or more?"

Until around October 2005 when I checked my Myspace and there were two unknown emails. The one was from a red headed guy who wanted to make his first statement to me by saying "Hey you're so hot, I'd like to lay on top of that." Automatic deletion. So I then opened up the next message. "Hi, my name is Mike, just found your profile and thought we had some things in common. Would you like to chat sometime?" It was sweet and innocent. There was no hidden meanings, no jump into any sexual innuendoes, just someone who truly was looking to chat. So I checked out his profile thoroughly; made sure there were no chances of him being fake or spam. Saw that he was a handsome guy, with long black hair and dazzling blue eyes that loved music. So I added him as my first stranger friend to Myspace.

Many people out there create fake Myspace pages with information that is not who they really are as well as pictures of people other than themselves as well. You have to watch and be careful when adding or pursuing a friendship with someone from the internet. Make sure that they are who they really say they are. As for my newfound friend and I; we conversed through Myspace and yahoo messenger for about two months. Random conversations of getting to know each other and making sure from one conversation to the next the storyline flowed and nothing seemed to be missing or ignored.

I thought it was time for us to meet, but you always have that warning in the back of your mind that threw ideas at you. What if he was a serial killer? What if his picture isn't really him? Oh yeah, I was being really cautious. He worked at a local gas station. This was a perfect, public place to meet. People were always coming and going to get gas and it was in a lighted area right off of a main road. As I drove to this destination, I had my friend Nikki on my cell phone when I pulled up into the parking lot. Having a friend on the other line, gave me the upper hand. If he wasn't who he appeared to be online, or if anything did not seem right from the initial meeting she was there to dial 9-1-1 if I needed her to. I took every precaution necessary.

Upon entering the station, he looked exactly like his pictures and he greeted me with a shy smile and was very soft spoken. There were several cars coming in and out of the gas station so I hung up with my friend.

It has been almost three years since that first meeting and Mike and I have been together as a couple for almost two years. I have never met someone who is so caring, such a gentleman, and so in love with me. He's committed to me and loves me like I have never been loved before. Thanks to Myspace I have found my knight and shining armor.

Now just because I found a good guy on Myspace doesn't mean that you girls or guys out there should meet up with some random person you meet online. There are many steps and precautions that you have to take.

Don't think just because their profile looks legit that all signs point to go. Keep chatting online for a few months and make sure that the person you are talking to is someone who you would like to continue to be friends with. Make sure that the stories and information that they are feeding you checks out. Even quiz the person on questions that they answered for you a few days ago. Just to make sure that they are being truthful. Don't give out your phone number to freely. Phone numbers can be traced to addresses...your address that can fulfill the craziness of any stalker out there. You don't want to put yourself into that type of situation.

When you feel as though it is okay to meet with this new person, do not meet alone in a private place. Make sure that you pick somewhere public. A library, a restaurant, a mall, a club, someplace where there are many people around that you can run to or help you if things turn sour. This is a dangerous move to meet someone you do not know, so make sure that you take precautions. And if you do end up meeting somewhere you're not familiar with, take a friend, have your cell phone on you at all times, and a bottle of mace handy is not a bad thing.

First impressions when meeting someone mean a lot, however the more times that you meet this person, the more relaxed they get and the true them can sometimes be revealed. At this point you're able to see if this person is the real deal or is a complete creep.

In the end, there are a lot of good guys out there, but mixed in are a lot of bad ones. Especially on a place called Myspace. Use your good judgment; consult a friend, a family member, or even your local police if you are questioning this person's motives.

Myspace is your space, and you have control over it.