Is MySpace really your space?

By Dave Moore
Apr 27, 2006


Promoted as a "social networking service," the MySpace.com website is turning into one of the Internet's hottest commodities. It's also turning into a giant headache for concerned parents and law enforcement officials, as young children, teens and well-meaning adults are colliding with criminals, con artists and sexual predators in the vast MySpace playground. At the behest of a concerned parent, I decided to do my own investigation of the MySpace phenomenon.

The concept behind MySpace is harmless enough: all you need is an email address to sign up as a MySpace member, after which you are given your "space" on the Internet. You're expected to turn your space into what amounts to a "vanity" website all about yourself. People post pictures of themselves, along with personal details such as likes and dislikes, hobbies, intimate stories and the like, and take advantage of the ability to post running commentaries called "blogs" (shorthand for "web log"), and use the site's email and instant messaging functions. People become MySpace "friends," engage in extended conversations, and generally, have a fun time.

People can also post their reasons for joining MySpace, with one popular reason being "dating." You can search MySpace for people looking to date in your area, sort of like thumbing through a catalog. Millions of people post pictures of themselves in sexually suggestive poses, and this is where things begin to heat up.

The problem with the warm and fuzzy MySpace concept is that not everyone on the Internet is a nice person, and society's misfits have invaded MySpace with a vengeance. While most MySpace pages host seemingly nice people, the site is also loaded with sexually explicit material, much of it, at the minimum, X-rated. So, you may ask, what's the problem with adults getting online and being sexy? The problem is not the adults: it's the kids.

MySpace has become the hottest online fad among high-school age and younger children, and it's been my experience that kids have some of the worse Internet security habits around. They think nothing of posting their real names, addresses, telephone numbers and where they go to school for the entire world to see. As such, MySpace has become a veritable shopping mall for sexual predators. While MySpace has a cutoff age of 14, millions of kids have lied about their age to get on MySpace, exacerbating the problem. In addition, MySpace has become a favorite hangout for kids to do things behind their parent's backs, since you can choose to make your web page either public or private, accessible only to your "friends."

Statistics show that one in five kids online have received sexual solicitations. Things have gotten so bad that MySpace has started posting "public service" ads, warning users about sexual predators. Do I think that MySpace should be shut down, or regulated by the government? Not at all. However, parents need to wake up to what their children may be doing, and take appropriate action.