MySpace is Not for Kids

Let me start right off by saying as the mother of 4 and grandmother of 5 this is my own personal opinion based on my own experience with MySpace. From my observations the first thing that struck me as unacceptable for children is the open discussion, almost bragging about drug usage, alcohol and tobacco, and sexual connotations and innuendoes. True there is such a thing as freedom of speech and this 'information' is posted on personal web pages but the MySpace experience goes beyond this.

How would you feel about your son or daughter being friends on MySpace with a 22 year old man who brags on his profile of being a loving caring father? In reality this man, and I use the term loosely, has not had contact with his son in over 3 years, owes the mother of that same son over $10,000 in child support, and also has another child who he treats in the same "loving caring" manner. Did I forget to mention this same "father" is on the Michigan sex offender's list? And at the same time has several minor girls on his 'friends' list on MySpace.

I know there are thousands and thousands of people who love MySpace and there are some great features concerning the site. Many families from around the world can get together and keep in touch. Old friends can communicate back and forth. And, it's a great place to make new friends from what I'm told - I'm sorry but that has not been my experience. I did have an account at MySpace at one time but some hacker took over my profile and I was unable to do anything but watch him promote his trash using my name.

So, what should be done about all of this? I am certainly not saying that MySpace should be closed or any such thing. I have noticed that MySpace has added a feature to ban members who are on sex offender lists but the truth is once they are banned there is nothing at all to stop them from signing up with another id and continuing to roam the pages of MySpace looking for their next victim.

I will admit that when I first heard about MySpace it was from my youngest son who was 12 at the time. "It's really great Mom, all my friends are on there." I didn't until over a year later investigate and was amazed to find out that oh, opps, my son was 12 years old when he got his membership at MySpace. When I questioned him on the quote below his response was, "I just said I was 14."

Quoted from the MySpace.com Terms of Use Agreement "Eligibility. Use of and Membership in the MySpace Services is void where prohibited. By using the MySpace Services, you represent and warrant that (a) all registration information you submit is truthful and accurate; (b) you will maintain the accuracy of such information; (c) you are 14 years of age or older; and (d) your use of the MySpace Services does not violate any applicable law or regulation. Your profile may be deleted and your Membership may be terminated without warning, if we believe that you are under 14 years of age."

I am sure with the enormous membership at MySpace there is no way on earth that they, the administration, can monitor, verify, or police the truth behind the ages of its members. I'm also positive that those pedophiles and rapists aren't about to report when they find a member under the age of 14. But even if they did is it right for 14 year old children to be meeting people from around the world that parents don't know from Adam?

Personally, I have seen the profiles of my own 22 year old daughter and her friends and don't feel it appropriate for a 14 year old. The language, violence, and sexually explicit photos alone are enough to make me ashamed of my own daughter but she's an adult and can/will do as she pleases. That does not mean its right for children though, freedom of speech or not.

I, as a mother and grandmother, beg and plead with anyone concerned about our youth of today to please ban or monitor very closely the activity on MySpace of any and all children. Most public and private schools that I know of block MySpace from being accessed on school computers - I am sure there is a reason for that. Some 'kids' will say it's just because the school wants them to work and not play but that's not so, I worked for one local school district and they considered MySpace an unsafe and bad influence on the students.

My advice to anyone who has young children in your home is to block MySpace.com from your home computers. You can do that on Internet Explorer by simply clicking on 'Tools' and 'Internet Options' and adding myspace.com to the blocked site list. If you don't want to do that then please monitor closely those children's activities on the computer. You may be surprised what they are really doing when you are out of the room.

For all those people on MySpace who have had a good experience I apologize if this seems like I am 'bashing' MySpace but I am concerned about young children and the introduction of sex, violence, and drugs to them at a younger and younger age.