It's come to the media's attention lately that personal website communities like Myspace.com are breeding grounds for teenage gossip and gold mines for sexual predators. News stories of stalkers, deaths, and internet harassment have been popping up everywhere.
Who's in danger?
The main problems are children who aren't supposed to be using myspace are using it. Girls as young as 10 use it to post pictures and personal information, amongst other things. Obviously, these young children are being stalked and predated by pedophiles and creeps because myspace is so easy to use and access. Many schools don't allow access to myspace and some have even tried to encourage parents to block it at home as well because it's such a breeding ground of rumors and gossip and obviously . . . the stalkers.
Don't get me wrong, it's not just young kids, but everyone. A girl on my floor in my dorm was being harassed by some dude who simply found her by search for women. He wouldn't leave her alone until I bitched him out online. He's given up bothering her, but it was annoying and creepy as hell when it was going on.
Should it be closed?
A lot of people want to see it shut down because of all the dangers it poses. The internet has always been criticized as a great way for other to steal information fairly easily. Myspace enables users to put some of that desired information right out in the open. Myspace is meant to be a social website (an oxymoron, I know) where people can chat with others through a page-to-page interface. It's the ease of it that makes it so dangerous. AOL Instant Messenger still gets fire for the countless stories of hook-ups where a young child meets an older person and get killed/gets raped/is kidnapped.
In my opinion, I think that it should remain opened. I have a myspace page and I like it because it's a way I can keep in touch with people I can't while I'm at school. It enables me to portray myself to others because I am a quiet person and I don't always speak clearly. Myspace is a great medium for keeping in touch with friends and meeting new ones. What parents need to do is to monitor what their kids are doing, especially if they are constantly surfing myspace and are under the age of 14 (the youngest the site allows). You can't just close myspace, because the internet itself is much more of a threat than just one site. It's awareness and making sure that kids know what they're getting into, or making sure that they don't get into it at all. I'm sick of these parenting groups bitching (that's all they do anyways) about how their children are in danger. You're the parent, take the first step and do something about it, don't always go to the government with your problems.
Some possible questions to Central Fusion are: Do you have a myspace? Have you or a friend been stalked before? Should myspace be shut down?
Who's in danger?
The main problems are children who aren't supposed to be using myspace are using it. Girls as young as 10 use it to post pictures and personal information, amongst other things. Obviously, these young children are being stalked and predated by pedophiles and creeps because myspace is so easy to use and access. Many schools don't allow access to myspace and some have even tried to encourage parents to block it at home as well because it's such a breeding ground of rumors and gossip and obviously . . . the stalkers.
Don't get me wrong, it's not just young kids, but everyone. A girl on my floor in my dorm was being harassed by some dude who simply found her by search for women. He wouldn't leave her alone until I bitched him out online. He's given up bothering her, but it was annoying and creepy as hell when it was going on.
Should it be closed?
A lot of people want to see it shut down because of all the dangers it poses. The internet has always been criticized as a great way for other to steal information fairly easily. Myspace enables users to put some of that desired information right out in the open. Myspace is meant to be a social website (an oxymoron, I know) where people can chat with others through a page-to-page interface. It's the ease of it that makes it so dangerous. AOL Instant Messenger still gets fire for the countless stories of hook-ups where a young child meets an older person and get killed/gets raped/is kidnapped.
In my opinion, I think that it should remain opened. I have a myspace page and I like it because it's a way I can keep in touch with people I can't while I'm at school. It enables me to portray myself to others because I am a quiet person and I don't always speak clearly. Myspace is a great medium for keeping in touch with friends and meeting new ones. What parents need to do is to monitor what their kids are doing, especially if they are constantly surfing myspace and are under the age of 14 (the youngest the site allows). You can't just close myspace, because the internet itself is much more of a threat than just one site. It's awareness and making sure that kids know what they're getting into, or making sure that they don't get into it at all. I'm sick of these parenting groups bitching (that's all they do anyways) about how their children are in danger. You're the parent, take the first step and do something about it, don't always go to the government with your problems.
Some possible questions to Central Fusion are: Do you have a myspace? Have you or a friend been stalked before? Should myspace be shut down?
