I’m a police officer whose job includes investigating computer and online crime. I also give presentations to educate parents and children about online safety. Let me begin by saying that I’m not against MySpace.
MySpace, like any other
social networking website, can be used responsibly. It’s up to
parents to teach their children that responsibility.
To begin with, teach your children that
anything that
they put on the web can be seen by
anyone! Even if they restrict their
MySpace profile so that it’s only viewable by their friends,
what’s to stop one of their friends from sharing that personal
information, or embarrassing picture, with other people?
For that matter, are all of your child’s MySpace friends really friends? Or are some of them people that they don’t really know, except online?
Perhaps someone likeElby Jesse Hars
who is currently wanted by the FBI for Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor.
Do you know who your child’s MySpace friends are?