Attention Teens and Parents Who use myspace.com

Oi, there's a bulletin going around that said this girl from Jersey City was meeting with a guy from somewhere else and got raped and murdered. They say she met him on MySpace too.

Pretty scary.

( )_( )
(='.'=)
(")-(") Arrivederci!

I think it's ok to trust people to a certain extent on the net. Like i woudn't be posting my bank details for all to see in here but i'd discuss my personal feelings with some of you.

You can't get through life without trusting someone..even online i think.

same with nexopia

It's a sad world when we can't trust in humanity, but that's just life! It's sickening when things like this happen to... But you are right, don't trust anyone on the internet with things you don't want to share. Just be careful!!

i use myspace. and xanga

I also saw that on the news to here in Philadelphia
Its the interent and well there are many people out there who stalk people and the young ones seem to be easy targets for this. You can set your myspace to private but their are some out there that know how to hack into them...scarey right? I have a mysapce but all I can say is just not to give to much info out or accept people as friends if you dont know them, it might be "cool" to have 2000 friends but just be careful in who those people are.

I use myspace and i admit i have info on their. But everyone does so i never really saw the harm harm in it. But this one guy keeps messaging me and its kind of freaking me out. He's 22 and is asking me to meet him, talk, send picz etc. Then he keeps commenting about my pictures. I never relplied to the guy but he claims he's seen me. I'm kinda freaked about it, should i just leave it? Maybe he'll stop messaging me....??

~Luvz~
~Angie~

That'd freak me out to.

Anyway my mom has given me so many lectures on the danger of the internet. and I dont even havbe a Myspace or Facebook account or anything. Just this site.

I have it..but nah I think it's not dangerous for me but others
because I'm pretty much sure that not a lot from my country has myspace stuff..so I don't feel uncomfortable about it :]]

but whatever it wouldn't be safe if you trusted a little to easy for someone you met online..so bob is surely right

Myspace.com/justgooutsideandplay

I just noticed that my post is after david wilson's, but the time is before. Daylight savings is a tricky thing.

David Wilson, are you ok mate?

Your warp signature is rather, well warped. Something ain't jigsawing up with you my friend, at least to my googley eyes and mind.

Everything okeeeeday with you?

I love facebook :) although I have a myspace too soo.... I dunno ppl are stupid thought and think that they are gonna meet cool ppl on there,

We love BOB !! Thanks for caring :D

^ugh...

Well luckily Vikki is not even my real name. YAY. =D

I'm safe, but I don't know about some of you. I mean I can easily track you with the info provided on your profile, and by posting up a fake survey to collect more provide information on you.

Not that I would do that, but we got to put ourselves in the shoes of predators and think about what they would do.

Not to freak anyone out, but don't you think a poetry website is the perfect place to find vulnerable teens?

I quite agree codenamevikki. But you have to trust some people! And I think that you can make some valuable friends on this site. Recently I made a friend on here who's a little crazy but we're good friends, and I'd feel comfortable giving him my address to send a letter... Though I guess its a lot easier to do when you're half a world away. Feels a lot safer. That said, I met my boy friend online!

You can make some great friends and valuable relationships online, just be smart about it! Never agree to meet anyone alone, keep it very public and you should be fine.

Myspace is a pimp yourself site...of course the people who use it want to gain some self esteem points by flaunting pictures of themselves and personal info! And having ten thousand friends is like, way awesome! But seriously....putting photos of yourself and a specific area ithat you live in is pretty dangerous...

I dont use myspace or anything like that for that very reason!
The amount of times the police have been to my house is untrue! just because some pervy bastard thinks its fun to pretend to be 15-18!
It's not good, but then if your careful they are ok... but it just seems that there are Tons of them on sites all like thease
Danielle
x

I think that people in here needs to be aware that parents are aware of what their children are doing...This may be a functionalist view but the truth none the less...And we need to understand that children, or should I say teenagers are capable of critical thinking, so I think they know who they should be aware of.

They may be naive, but if told what to look out for, they will look out for themselves. Without us worrying about it...

P.S: This is old....Who took the time to bump this up...Someone must have a lot of time on their hands.

So basically your assumption is that parents even though they are technologically inclined, do not care or even bother with their children being online....

I see...So that in turn makes me naive in thinking otherwise...Hmm?

Excuse me, but is that true for every parent...Have you been at the house of every parent to conclude your theory that every parent does not care. Excuse me, but I feel that this needs to be address, but your argument seems too onesided...

What we need to understand is that children or should I say teenagers may always rebel, but they are capable of critical thought, and when told to be aware, they could.

We are at the state of moral panic, in which we believe that paedophiles are everywhere, that may be true, but fact is, that teenagers should not hinder themselves by the possibility that they may be targeted.

Parents are not to blame, and we should not assume that every parent in USA or infact the world are oblivious to what their children are doing.

Britt: Like I said, we need to inform teenagers rather than feverishly protect them. Teenagers as I say for the third time is capable of rationale thinking. But again we need to understand that if a teenager does delete the history and actually try to hide their internet activity, then again it is all on them...

Actually you can even give out info.by mistake,I recently put a picture of myself by my car,not realizing my tag number was obviously displayed,A nice poet from this site mess. me and pointed it out,You have to be really careful nowdays! Poets are such great people!

Britt: I can argue that it was your friend that brought all this upon herself, and that her mistake has made her parents worried. But again you are bringing a subjective story into play here.

We need to understand that with your thinking virtually anyone would be seen as a threat, and virtually every person that messages you is a threat as well...The internet may be teeming with paedophiles and molesters. But we need to understand that hysteria from cases such as that of your friend creates more paranoia within our society.

Teenagers need to be told, but whether they listen is eventually up to them, and if you state that they do not...Then this whole post thread was for naught.

Amanda:

Facts...Ok then lets talk about your facts then...

"On one site it is said that "86% of CHILDREN can chat online without their parents' knowledge.
* 64% of TEENS do things online they don't want their parents to know about.
* 50% of TEENS communicate online with someone they have never met.
* 30% of TEENAGED GIRLS are sexually solicited inside a chat room.
* 58% of PARENTS monitor what their child does in online chat rooms. "

Now I would love to see the place you cited this from.

I have not seen a sociological or psychological base on your facts merely statistics, that can be complied in minutes and can be falsified.

What you gave me was subjective horror stories and extreme case scenarios.

You have shown me that stranger danger is in fact a myth.

Stranger Danger is a phrase is so pervasive in our culture that it has become part of the lexicon. Well-intentioned adults perpetuate this misguided message, and the media often uses it as a slogan.

A recent case illustrates how literal children may be when given a specific message. The child in this case may have evaded his rescuers, because he had been taught "not to talk to strangers."

Children are in much potential danger from those they know within their extended family structure than those of strangers.

Internet can be used as a tool for destruction for many individuals however, we must not hide our children perpetually in a cave simply because of internet paedophiles. Again we must look within the family structure...And see whether the child is emotionally nourished within it. That is our answer...

News clippings over-exaggerate the problem...And your facts...Is merely subjective and lacks scientific basis.

Your facts my darling lack scientific basis.. you come up with different. You are merely going off of what YOU think."

Actually my posts are sociologically inclined, so again the discussion of whether mine is more objective than yours...Is another story, seeing as yours brings to light the moral panic that seem to be prevalent in our society.

"News articles are facts and if you think otherwise you are living in a fantasy world."

No, if you read different news articles, they may cover the same story but they each give different interpretations and opinions along with it. Simple...no!

Predators are real in life and on the internet. You can't convince me otherwise when it is a continual issue to date. You are very very naive to think that the internet is this big happy playground where nothing bad happens."

I know predators exists, but again you have to distingush paedophilia from child molestors. But I guess that is another tale...And something that seems out of your depth.

You assume that simply because I do not generalise the internet as a entirely bad thing means I am naive. Come of it. I know the dangers that come from the internet, I aslo know the that children if they are emotionally stable would not seek emotional fulfillment that comes from the grooming.

Again, rather that have a broader perspective you seem to take the extreme realities covered by the media and use it in this post thread.

What I am saying is, that we need to look at the way the family itself is functioning, rather than blame the dangers of the internet.

I would be like you and bring my story or a story of my friend to prove my case, but then again the validity of my case would falter.

Which it has for yours!

I love how you tell both brit and I that what we are saying is subjective when we give both personal experiences and documented experiences. You turn around and give subjective stories right back. You are a riot."

Britt gave a story of her friend, and you gave a statistics of a website which I have yet to see it's citation. I have given my own perspectives taken from sociological theories and researches, and have been as objective as I can.

"To be objective is to adhere strictly to truth- methods in one's thinking, particularly, to take into account all available information, and to avoid any form of prejudice, bias, or wishful thinking." (Wikipedia)

Now I think I have been objective and looked at different approaches, psychological, sociological, cultural etc. And I have not been prejudiced or biased. So I would surmise, that I have indeed been objective.

"Now you stated here that parents are aware of what their kids are doing ect.. I fail to see how that is being fair, especially since the fact that not every parent is able to track every single thing their child does. You are naive to the fact that kids who have a good upbringing and are told of the dangers of the internet couldn't possibly have anything bad happen to them with regards to the internet."

Actually what I stated was that parents need to actually speak with their teenagers as young adults rather than zealously protecting them as children. I am saying that by giving children what they need "attention".They will not look for it elsewhere. Plus we need to again distinguish the term "children and teenagers" since we are getting confused by their contrasting definitions.

"I stated way before this that there are smart teens out there, but the internet whether you like it or not is a dangerous place for ANYONE! Be it if you know what your doing or not. It doesn't always have to be talking there are such things as stalkers and the information you provide on your 'myspace' sites can give them an invitation. I suggest you surf the net if you so much as care where I got the statistics from."

Lol...Actually again, you are generalizing the situation. You are saying that sites like myspace give "stalkers" information of where these teenagers are.
There are two flaws to that thinking. One is that myspace like many other websites, actively state not to give information when first registering to it. And secondly you state that stalkers are synonymous with pedophiles.

Again I will say that teenagers are capable of critical thinking, and if you give them the information of the hazards that come from chat sites then, they will or will not heed it, again one needs to look at the way the family structure worksâ?¦ As for asking the citation to where you got your "facts" from, That is required if you need to prove your arguments....Unless you made it up...Gasps!

Since you are using news clippings, I shall do the same:

An online dissertation by Tonje Bergmo. Her English isn't wonderful, and the whole thing feels cobbled together - but it's an interesting attempt by a Norwegian journalist to take a relatively balanced view of English media coverage. She concludes...

"...it could seem like paedophiles have turned into scapegoats for the bad consciousness in today's money-making society, which just does not know where to put our children. They also have to take the blame for the bad consciousness all of us have because we know that some - ostensibly - ordinary family husbands (and wives) are capable and do sexually abuse their children, even if we don't want to know. It can seem like the moral panics about paedophiles are not [really] about paedophiles - but about our children and the bad consciousness we have for them."

Recent Matthew Parris article, 'Call off the lynch-mob', from The Times of London.

"I don't talk to children in the street any more. Only today I stopped myself picking up and comforting a toddler who had fallen over on an escalator. In the damage done to millions of children made afraid of every stranger and millions of adults frightened of physical contact and friendship towards children, I believe that the wave of public anxiety about paedophilia now sweeping over us is doing incalculably more harm than the paedophilia itself.
Sooner or later, someone is going to be lynched, beaten to pulp or torched. Those politicians who have added to these flames should examine their consciences, for politicians can lead as well as follow."

you can find it on this website: http://home.wanadoo.nl/ipce/library_two/files/academic01r.htm

Do you really believe this?......explain please"

What I meant is, that if a child gets the attention they seek from their own family institutions, then they would not seek it elsewhere...

Bob, children are inquisitive and guillable...But fact is most of the molestations you hear occur within the extended family or modified/reconsitiuted nuclear family than those that are molested by strangers.

"well over 60% so can one assume that 60% of the children of the world don't get the proper attention at home?"

Again you have no idea, whether parents actually give the attention the children needs, and again we need to look at the cultural definitions on how they give attention.

Amanda please try and read my posts according to the context it is given...

My argument with you differs than that of Bob's... Seeing as you fail to understand the context of my argument with bob... I'll fill you in...Hopefully without being patronizing to your lack of understanding...

Bob asked me to elaborate a quote he took of my argument with you... I elaborated and agreed somewhat with statement...

It is not a contradiction but two different discussions...

I find your argument amusing... But then again your post wasn't referenced from our discussion but from Bob's.. Sad I must say but it was fun... Oh well I was hoping an intellectual discussion but all I see is an emotionally charged drivel...

Your arguments were driven not by facts but what you deem to be true(minus the two articles you just so happened to quote later on). There will always be arguments each way, that is a given. However until predators on the internet cease to exist my argument still stands."

Ironic how you state my "facts" where what I deemed to be true, when yours were just the same...

Truly we both place blame on people who may or may not deserve it when really we should observe and enlighten ourselves to why they do it.

I would honestly say that I did not do that...Seeing as I was too caught up, trying to have fun with the arguments at hand.

But I guess in a way, I was being objective in trying to understand the entirety of the situation...

It was fun....

To say the least...

I agree 100%

Thats why i dont have a myspace
hehe

xx

"good luck tracking every single one of your child's/children's actions on the internet"

You may not be able to keep track outside the house but if it is in the house they have programs that record everything done on the computer and they can be added with no ones knowledge, aside from the person adding it of course. All anyone can do is provide their kids with the best possible information and hope they truly listen and understand what dangers are hiding out there.

^Children are in much potential danger from those they know within their extended family structure than those of strangers.^
This is not true in every case . It depends on who your family is.

^A recent case illustrates how literal children may be when given a specific message. The child in this case may have evaded his rescuers, because he had been taught "not to talk to strangers
I know predators exists, but again you have to distingush paedophilia from child molestors. But I guess that is another tale...And something that seems out of your depth.^

First of all the parents need to specify what kind of strangers and let their kids know it is okay to talk to police, firemen, etc. Second, it looks like it was out of your depth, not hers. Here is a definition for you:

pedophilia n. an obsession with children as sex objects. Overt acts, including taking sexual explicit photographs, molesting children, and exposing one's genitalia to children are all crimes.
The problem with these crimes is that pedophilia is also treated as a mental illness, and the pedophile is often released only to repeat the crimes or escalate the activity to the level of murder .
Hmmmmmmm sounds synonomous with a child molestor...... I wouldn't want either one of them near my children!

^Now I think I have been objective and looked at different approaches, psychological, sociological, cultural etc. And I have not been prejudiced or biased. So I would surmise, that I have indeed been objective.^

I think you have been very closed minded

^Actually what I stated was that parents need to actually speak with their teenagers as young adults rather than zealously protecting them as children. I am saying that by giving children what they need "attention".They will not look for it elsewhere. Plus we need to again distinguish the term "children and teenagers" since we are getting confused by their contrasting definitions.^

Do you have kids? If not, don't!!!!! Children who get enough attention still seek other types of attention elsewhere and there is always that little thing called peer pressure and teenage ignorance.....

^And secondly you state that stalkers are synonymous with pedophiles.^

Stalkers are not always pedophiles but pedophiles are in many cases stalkers.

Everyone on the internet is a potential threat to my children as far as I am concerned.

I have a myspace, and i have codes on it that get rid of the status bar and the general areas. and i just put what kind of person i am, not where i live, or friend names. i also use xanga, a blogging site, but i haven't been on there for awhile. Hoverspot is another spot that i have an account on, and myYearbook, and those can be scary places, because some people acually act like teens, and you never know who you're really typing to these days. one of my aunts gives me a good example, because 2 of her last loser husbands were met online and told her lies, like everybody else can.
freecodesurce.com is where you can find the codes to hide some information on your myspace accounts.

Rachel: I wish I was like you, able to haphazardly reference words, concepts and sentences and contradict them, plus adding a flimsy general definition on a word that is actually researched by different scientific schools of thought without adding your own opinion to the topic made 2 years ago, only to be bumped by a guy who's only words to bring to the conversation is "I agree"...

I wished, I was as brave as you to try and point out what was an already finished debate between myself and Amanda... but sadly this clearly is just too easy for me... Seeing as all you have done is generalise and scoff at genuine objective interpretations...

Its just too easy... Sorry!

I find it funny how people join myspace to meet new poeple. yeah i know its there for friends but i have a myspce too and i dont use it to "meet new people" i know aboout the whole sex offender thing but im not one of those poeple that talke to others they dont know. i only have my friends from SCHOOL on there and its not that hard to keep it that way. if there wasnt myspace it would still be happening just on different sites. its really sad that people actually do that though.

Myspace should only be for people U KNOW

not to meet new people, cuz most people u will meet

will never be who they claim to be

^^ Kinda like here....No!

It's kinda scary how many sex offenders there really are on the net. Just watch out!

Basically it comes down to whether or not you have common sense and if parents today have to ability to teach common sense to their teens.

Myspace has a wonderful thing called private profiles for all ages now-a-days also.