Myspace -

[Msterbeau]

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006605110390

[JaneDead]

it's not loading for me for some reason so i have no idea what the story is about, but i just wanted to say:

if you are a parent, and you let your kids go on myspace, you are stupid. myspace is for adults, not children. the age on there should NOT be 14. it should be 17/18 but that is just my opinion, as a parent.

[FarrIL]

it's not loading for me for some reason so i have no idea what the story is about, but i just wanted to say:

if you are a parent, and you let your kids go on myspace, you are stupid. myspace is for adults, not children. the age on there should NOT be 14. it should be 17/18 but that is just my opinion, as a parent.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree.

That's why, whenever I get friend requests...... UNLESS I KNOW THE PERSON, if they're under 16, I wont accept them.

I cant begin to tell you how many morons I've come across, just by having my status say "Single". So, back to "In A Relationship" and the problem stops. But you, on occassion, get a friend request where the person or people being represented is just dumb.

I forget the 'social' or 'youth group' but it was seen as a way to find people your age and have fun. When they sent me a request, I looked at their profile first, especially their pictures and saw photos of girls with their legs spread over pool tables while guys played pool. That didnt strike as something nice to me, so I denied them.

There have been a few other various occassions, but I dont feel like typing them out. Something about majorly-crazed preachy people.... <<;

[Brenda Starrr]

My daughter was at a friend's house, where she made a myspace account. Once I found out about it, I decided to look at her page. I wasn't happy with the fact that she had pics on it, and the comment underneath was something like "I'm cute" or, "kinda sexy."

So, I emailed myspace and had her ass deleted. For a while, she couldn't figure out why she couldn't get onto her page. I eventually told her. She's 10, for God's sake! She doesn't need to be on there, being all cute and whatnot. So no, not until they're at least 17, should they ever be on myspace.

[n0Mad]

Both the Detroit News and the Free Press today had versions of that story. As the law stands now, if an adult has any sexual contact with anyone under the age of 16, even if said minor posted that they were older, said that they were older, and produced fake IDs "proving" that they were older, the adult is still socked with a statutory charge, imprisoned, and fined. Due to this event, lawyers are attempting to bring the issue before court and get the law changed. Something about if you know they're under-aged, then you're in big trouble. But if you made a reasonable effort to discover their age and believed them to be older, then you might be able to get off. (And no jokes about "getting off". Grr.)

[Onyx]

Honestly, I think people, especially parents, put way too much emphasis on the dangers of cyberspace. Certainly it isn't a good idea for your kids to have photos on MySpace or tell their home address, but I also think it's a general lack of parenting that is to blame for most of these things. If you give a child no communication or attention through their childhood and then try to make up for it by watching them like a hawk when a teen, you've waited too late.

You can take away the net, lock them in their room and do all kinds of too-little-too-late interventions and they will still end up messing up their life. They need internal values taught consistently from birth to adulthood.

Dangers are everywhere, not just on MySpace. Most kids are molested or taken advantage of in other ways by relatives or friends of the family rather than strangers.

Somehow I doubt this girl had good communication with her mother and father while she was growing up.

"On MySpace, the girl said she was 18. She posted pages splashed with Playboy symbols, provocative pictures of herself and obscene phrases."

These are not the actions of a well-adjusted child with good self-esteem.

[Msterbeau]

These are not the actions of a well-adjusted child with good self-esteem.

That was my thinking. You can look at this story in a lot of different ways with respect to parental responsibilities, children defying them and child abusers. I'm sure there are predators out there on MySpace looking for underage children, but that doesn't seem the case here.

On the other hand, some children are predesposed to getting into trouble and situations contrary to what their parents tell them. My younger daughter is a good example. :doh We do our best to explain why she needs to listen but there are many times she wants to do what she wants to do.. and no amount of discussion (or threats) will dissuade her. This girl could be the same...

So yeah... No MySpace for mine either until they are older, or unless they're willing to let me see what they're doing.

Something related to ponder. At some point, we as parents have to slowly relinquish our "control" over them... but it needs to be done with our guidance. After all.. They could be going away for college, do you really want them to go from a totally controlled life to one that has few limits? High school years are the transition to adulthood and autonomy.

I'll stop rambling now...

[n0Mad]

I'm sure there are predators out there on MySpace looking for underage children

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey, 16 may seem underage but it's still legal in Michigan. At least that's what the judge told her father when he tried to bring me up on charges for ... um, never mind.

:laughing

As if. I can't even get a gal my age let alone one so young. Maybe if I actually used my MySpace. Hmmm ...

[kellygrrrrrl]

stupid bitches are asking to be raped

dumb impressionable kids that are desperate for attention.

Dumb naive men that think maybe they might have a chance with said 18 year old cookie.

it's bad the whole way around

[phee]

stupid bitches are asking to be raped

dumb impressionable kids that are desperate for attention.

Dumb naive men that think maybe they might have a chance with said 18 year old cookie.

it's bad the whole way around

Asking to be raped eh???

[kellygrrrrrl]

yes.

not diresctly, like "Hey rape me".....

but setting themselves up for this kind of a situation.

There's a lot of sicko's out there.

Even if the girl is promiscuous, and setting herself up, if something goes bad, you think she is going to say, Oh, I'm not innocent, I'm not slutty, I didn't ask for it, I didn't put up slutty pictures of myself, I didn't say procative things, I didn't talk dirty and nasty, no. She is going to make herself out to be the innocent.

In a particular case like this anyway.

[phee]

Are you sure you are not a man? (Lol)

[livininxtcgoth]

as i've gotten older i've realized how morbidly stupid i was when i was younger and how stupid i still am.

when i was 13 i talked to strangers online but at least i had the common sense not to go meeting them and i didnt give out any personal information---i was even only talking to other girls mostly on this site called purple moon and it was totally meaningless bs we talkeda bout

when i was 15 i posted pictures of me and my friends on my own lil geocities website and talked to people on yahoo and aim but i always blocked and ignored people who were even vaguely shady ( as i still do--i dont add ANYONE to my myspace who isnt someone i recognize from real life or actually know or maybe people from bands i discover i really like)

i didnt start meeting people from online until i was 17 almost 18 and i've always had the common sense to meet them in well populated well lit public places and i try to always bring a friend--- most of htese meetings were just to gain new friends anyways.

generally, as long as you're not a complete moron, i dont think the internet is that scary. if you take the practical steps to protect yourself you're not likely to be in THAT much danger. but these lil 13 year old girls that just wanna grow up so fast are going to get burned and its partially their own fault if they do.

look at how you're supposed to be over 14 to be on myspace---but tons of 13 and 12 year olds and even brenda's 10 year old daughter was on there--not that difficult to fake it.

i used to have a separate yahoo account with a fake birthdate saying i was over 18 so i could do more stuff on the site--took me all of 5 minutes

and 17/18 is still a bit old for a reccomended age for myspace, ect. i know a lot of 15 and 16 year olds that are friends of mine from high school that really do only use it to talk to friends from school and real life and maybe the very occasional online buddy... not ALL young people are COMPLETE sluts and morons

in reality, even without myspace there are going to be ways that stupid slutty young teens are going to get themselves in stupid situations and even without myspace we ladies are going to be solicited by a lot of rather undesireable fellows (ie cityclub!!!)

i agree there are a lot of things wrong with the sort of online community myspace is but come on--people are always gonna look for something to blame for their problems rather than looking inwards for a solution

[phee]

as i've gotten older i've realized how morbidly stupid i was when i was younger and how stupid i still am.

when i was 13 i talked to strangers online but at least i had the common sense not to go meeting them and i didnt give out any personal information---i was even only talking to other girls mostly on this site called purple moon and it was totally meaningless bs we talkeda bout

when i was 15 i posted pictures of me and my friends on my own lil geocities website and talked to people on yahoo and aim but i always blocked and ignored people who were even vaguely shady ( as i still do--i dont add ANYONE to my myspace who isnt someone i recognize from real life or actually know or maybe people from bands i discover i really like)

i didnt start meeting people from online until i was 17 almost 18 and i've always had the common sense to meet them in well populated well lit public places and i try to always bring a friend--- most of htese meetings were just to gain new friends anyways.

generally, as long as you're not a complete moron, i dont think the internet is that scary.  if you take the practical steps to protect yourself you're not likely to be in THAT much danger.  but these lil 13 year old girls that just wanna grow up so fast are going to get burned and its partially their own fault if they do.

look at how you're supposed to be over 14 to be on myspace---but tons of 13 and 12 year olds and even brenda's 10 year old daughter was on there--not that difficult to fake it.

i used to have a separate yahoo account with a fake birthdate saying i was over 18 so i could do more stuff on the site--took me all of 5 minutes

and 17/18 is still a bit old for a reccomended age for myspace, ect.  i know a lot of 15 and 16 year olds that are friends of mine from high school that really do only use it to talk to friends from school and real life and maybe the very occasional online buddy... not ALL young people are COMPLETE sluts and morons

in reality, even without myspace there are going to be ways that stupid slutty young teens are going to get themselves in stupid situations and even without myspace we ladies are going to be solicited by a lot of rather undesireable fellows (ie cityclub!!!)

i agree there are a lot of things wrong with the sort of online community myspace is but come on--people are always gonna look for something to blame for their problems rather than looking inwards for a solution

Good post....

I agree, that this myspace blaming is merely a symptom of the underlying problem

[n0Mad]

Good post....

I agree, that this myspace blaming is merely a simptom of the underlying problem

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I concur. Great post.

we ladies are going to be solicited by a lot of rather undesireable fellows

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So ... you wanna meet up somewhere? :fear

:laughing

[kellygrrrrrl]

Phee, I have 4 younger brothers. :doh

Women know exactly what they are capable of.

They know what they are doing.

Unless they are really THAT stupid.

Every move, every word, every body movement is pre-meditated.

I know what to say and when to say it.

I know what I can get and how far I can take it to get it.

I am probably capable of more than what I know I can do. I choose not to.

Women know what they do to men. They do.

No matter how much it is disputed.

There is a thrill behind knowing, and getting.

So the beans are spilled ladies.

You know what I am talking about.

This is what is abused.

Some men know these trix. Some men kow how to play this game. And when the game goes bad, it's the guy who gets in trouble. This little girl knew exactly what she was doing.

We forget how advanced we were at 13.

I as 13 13 years ago. I remember how I was. This girl knew.

[Msterbeau]

Myspace is just the latest in a long line of convenient, evil things parents can blame for the delenquency of their child. *rolling eyes*

As parents we need to recognize that certain lessons need to be taught from day one or they'll never stick... and that at as they grow, our children have to learn some lessons for themselves, no matter how much we try to teach it to them. Probably also worth saying is that if we expect them to follow our example, we better be living it ourselves.

[n0Mad]

Women know what they do to men.  They do.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Then I've dated some real bitches in my time. =(

*sigh* I get no love. :tear

[Head Wreck]

jesus. if you have kids, and they want to use the internet.

supervise them. its what i tell a lot of people. just dont rely on them being good children, as every kid has curiosities. i used to sneak at my dads porno when i was a kid. the internet is not a babysitter, nor is a TV.

horror stories happen and sometimes the kids find way around supervised time. but if people put more time with thier children, and got on with them to the point where pearents are trusted and not kept in the dark about whats going on.

[Rayne]

Unsurpervised children is what it comes down to. Plain and simple ... parents not doing their job as parents.

[FarrIL]

The very first time I ever heard of Internet Predators.... I cant remember, but then i was in my younger teen years. Say, oh, maybe 14.

I never was dumb enough to meet strangers off of the Internet, UNLESS it was with a friend AND I had been talking to the person for a while (( month+ )). Hearing their voice and actually seeing a photo usually worked too. BUT, more often then not, I see no interest in meeting someone off the Internet and I only started meeting people....... ::: Thinksthinksthinks ::: When I was 18.

I dont know what it is about myself that attracts the perverts but I look for the way they type and what they say. If I see typos, poor grammar and blatant statements of how badly they want to screw me, I hit the block button. And quickly.

Not just on Yahoo. I've gotten problems off of VampireFreaks. I've gotten problems off of SKYPE, of all places. No reall issues with AIM, hardly ever with MSN. And it's always the same story. "You're hot, let's fuck".

I dont put anything baltantly provocative. I'm not posting pictures of myself in lingerie, although I WILL admit that one of my images on Myspace has a strip of visible panties. Barely noticeable. And the only things that could possibly attract a pervert towards me is if they took the time to note that I have "BDSM" in my interests. Now honestly, Ive only gotten one crazy dumbass just because of that one abbreviation.

Other times, say, 2, were because my status was set to single.

If I had a kid, a teenage girl, I'd tell her and teach her what could go wrong with the Internet. Now, when I was 10 years old, I was watching Spicy City..... animated naughtiness in every episode. However, I wasnt going around swearing, dressing in ways a 10 year old shouldnt be dressing or acting like a sex-crazed lunatic. If I feel my daughter was mature enough to handle a profile site like Myspace, then yes, she should have her freedom. But I'd give her fair warning that she might get some unwanted attention, and when that happens, "Ignore" or "Report" are the two options available.

This girl we're talking about.... low self-esteem.... provacative imagery.... it's quite obvious that she isnt being taught common sense and morals at home. There's something wrong with how the parents are treating and raising their daughter. Could be a divorced parent as well.

Now I'm not putting blame on the parents on this board for how their kids act towards Myspace, but we also need to put into perspective another issue.

Peer Pressure.

Damn, I've given in on a few occassions to this and the more I got hurt, the more I grew tired of the pettiness.

This girl could've been a victim of peer pressure as well.

But of course, she can always be just another stupid attention whore.

[Head Wreck]

but you said my typos were cute!!

[phee]

I was a molested 14 year old girl once... it was great

[odims_sphere]

I was a molested 14 year old girl once... it was great

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was your molester.. and it was great as well

[n0Mad]

Here's the followup article.

Basically, since there was no sexual conduct, the man isn't being charged with anything and he was released. The girl however is getting charged with the status offence of "home truency". Plus she's been restricted internet access by court order and has to wear a teather until her trial.

Score one for the home team! (And no jokes and puns about "score one".)