Websites that allow users to post online profiles are becoming more and more mainstream. Middle and high school students, who sign up in droves to share thoughts, messages and photos with friends, have fueled their popularity.
But now that the sites are so well known, friends may not be the only ones seeing what your child posts on is page. This can be a problem. It can even be dangerous.
Here are some examples:
But now that the sites are so well known, friends may not be the only ones seeing what your child posts on is page. This can be a problem. It can even be dangerous.
Here are some examples:
- Someone who wants to establish a real or online relationship with your child can access the site.
- Photos posted on these sites can be stolen and posted on other sites. Someone could use your child’s photo to create a false identity.
- The sites can lead to friendship problems. Some sites list a user’s “favorite friends.” Friends who don’t make the list can get their feelings hurt.
- School officials and authority figures can access the sites. Students posting things that appear to break school rules or other laws may be investigated.
- Tighten his page security to allow only approved users to visit.
- Switch to a safer site.
- Scrap the whole thing. Face to face friendships are always more rewarding!
Source: Yuki Noguchi, “In Ten’s Web World, MySpace is So Last Year: Social Sites Find Fickle Audience,†The Washington Post, Reprinted with permission from (c) 2007, The Parent Institute, a division of NIS, Inc.