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The Dangers of MySpace.com for Teens

By Suzanne Odum
CBN News Producer

CBN.com – (CBN News) - Online diaries are more popular than ever with teens. But how safe are they?

A recent investigation by the Massachusetts attorney general revealed that an alarming number of potential child predators have been surfing Myspace.com, looking for victims.

And the state is now calling on Myspace to make some changes to help ensure the safety of those who use the site.

One change would include raising the minimum age for users from 14 to 18. But will these changes make a difference in protecting your kids?

Myspace is one of the most popular online journal Web sites today. Teens use it as a meeting place where they can tell about themselves, post pictures, play their favorite songs, and chat with people around the world.

"I really enjoy expressing myself, having the freedom to just share my heart, to talk about the Lord, to just write out my feelings,” said Myspace user Robin Molnar. “Sometimes I'm going through really hard things, and I'll just be able to express my feelings and kind of let it out. Or other times I'm just so excited about something that's going on in my life.”

But Myspace has come under fire from authorities, parents, and teachers who say the site exposes teens to sexually explicit material and makes teens vulnerable to sexual predators.

The head of News Corp's Internet division, which owns Myspace, says, "It's a problem that's endemic to the Internet, not just Myspace," and he says that "the site...has become safer."

Parry Aftab is an Internet privacy and security lawyer and an expert on teen online diaries like Myspace.

She said, "The kids are putting so much personal information on these Web sites that it's very, very easy for anyone who wants to find them in real life, to find them…Most parents are worried because they wouldn't read their children's diary, and they feel uncomfortable reading their online diaries. But parents need to realize that when a child writes a diary at home, it’s between them and the pages. [But] when children write a diary on the Internet, it's between their kids and 700 million people who want to read what they wrote."

Although Myspace is not the only risky site out there for kids, it stands out because of its sheer size.

There are more than 54 million registered users on Myspace, with about 19 percent of monthly users under the age of 17. And the site gets as many as 180,000 new members a day.

Because Myspace attracts teens, there are plenty of sexual solicitations and sexual content from strangers.

Myspace user Esther Molnar said, "….one time I was just checking my comments and this guy left a comment, ‘Hey, check out my site,’ and I clicked it (she puts her hand over her eyes as in disbelief) …it was just this gross pornography thing that just popped up, and I had to turn off my computer and everything to get it off my computer."

The site also contains violent images.

A fight between two girls was posted on Myspace. There are also images referring to suicide and other violent videos on the site that are extremely graphic.

There is even a new feature that enables teens to read their horoscope. It offers "cosmic guidance," and prompts users to "get to know their inner psychic."

So what can parents do to protect their teens?

Rebecca Hagelin, the author of Home Invasion, Protecting Your Family in a Culture that's Gone Stark Raving Mad, said parents are up against a cultural terrorism that threatens to rob their kids of their best future -- but it is a fight that parents can and will win, if they stay informed and are determined to protect their families.

Parents can help safeguard their kids online by being aware of where they are going on the Internet and what information they are communicating throughout cyberspace.

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