Facebook Follies and MySpace Scares

By David Murphy
Children today are spending far more time online, placing themselves in potential serious danger.
Children now spend just as much time in front of the computer as they did watching television years ago. Cyberangels.org reports that 75 percent of teens use instant messaging compared to 42 percent of adults.
One of the main trends in the online world is instant messaging. This is where people have online communication via the Internet with friends, family or even complete strangers. Cox Communication reported in 2004 that one in five children online is approached by a sexual predator.
While children are experimenting with new technology, others are looking to take advantage of them. So the question becomes “What are parents to do if they want their children to be safe?”
Officer Bruce Boden of the Peabody Police Department and local officer for the Peabody Public Middle School has words of advice for unsuspecting parents.
“The first thing any parent should do is sit their child down and have a long conversation about what the Internet is, and how it is to be used. They have to make their children aware of the dangers. If they are mature enough to be online they should be mature enough to be educated on the dangers,” he said.
Boden routinely talks to sixth graders to make sure they don’t fall prey to the dangers of the internet. “Crimes like these are so easily preventable. I would hate to see a young child’s life ruined because of something like AIM,” he said.
Another threat of the online world is posting photos of yourself and others. Allowing people to have a visual of yourself could make an online predator more determined to get in contact with you.
“AIM allows you to talk to someone, and MySpace lets them see your face. You have now given a potential predator a lot of tools to work with,” said Bodon.
“I have a MySpace account, but I use the privacy features, which means only my friends can see my profile. I would never accept a message from someone I don’t know because that’s just asking for trouble,” said Marissa Fleming a sixth grade student at the Higgins Middle School.
“I know that Facebook and MySpace are really popular, and I’m not trying to condemn them. I’m just saying that people have to be a smart about it. People are putting up pictures of themselves drinking while underage or smoking pot. It’s not a bright idea,” said Boden.
While the Internet can be cause for concern, with the proper precautions children can safely browse the Internet.
“Parents should always monitor and limit computer use. There are also blockers parents can install to stop kids form going into chat rooms. The online world is much like the real world. You don’t talk to strangers and you don’t share unnecessary information with people you don’t know,” he said.
Going online should be treated with care and concern.
“I go online all the time but only to talk to my friends. It’s when people get careless and talk to random screen names that get them in trouble,” said Fleming