The 411 On OSN

The Parent’s Guide to MySpace was very informative. Most of my children have/had accounts. We had a problem with my youngest son’s desire to impress by boasting. If I had known to look into his profile earlier….we may have been saved from trouble and embarrassment.

My biggest fear is the fact that no one knows who they are talking with. Anyone can upload a picture of an attractive person and impersonate them.

There was a recent case of an adult woman who believed a teenage girl down the street was maligning her daughter on the internet. The woman impersonated a boy online to get in to her good graces. After she gained the girl’s trust and affection, he/she broke the girls’ heart and wrote malicious things about her. The girl subsequently killed herself in her closet. The police have not charged the adult with any crime.

Bring back the skating rinks, burger joints, bowling alleys and places for people young and old to get together face to face. Are we too afraid to leave our houses and go out and play? Why are we so afraid to meet people, but so willing to bare our soul to strangers? Is this why I’m blogging?

I can see people getting together to play online games, or to form different clubs founded on a common interest like a family webpage, mystery lovers, or jazz aficionados.
As for 50% of teenagers discussing homework, college preparation on OSL’s, sure...
Whatever! It’s not so much what they’re doing that’s scary.
It’s the predators that are frightening.

Also, it is not so easy to remove content. Young people believe nothing can hurt them. What they write today can dash their dreams tomorrow. They are not aware that companies are data mining. Then later HR can google and read all about them.
I was glad to read that there is a way to delete content if necessary, even if it is arduous and you have to give up a foot.