MySpace

So have you all noticed this MySpace craze that's been picking up momentum for the past couple of years? A little crazy no? I mean I'll admit I have a MySpace, I suppose people contact me on it, I suppose I could respond, quite frankly I wouldn't even know how. I don't know why these little tweeners run home to their computers & their MySpace relationships as if that is the be all and end all of entertainment!

Have you read the news about these "relationships" that's some scary stuff! I've read a few articles now where teens or tweens are lured in and then kidnapped, or molested or raped when they go out to meet people in real life that they found on MySpace. Oh you want to see the articles? Ok, here's some:
• Molestation http://www.da.saccounty.net/pr/060602%C2%AD%C2%AD_Richard%20Alan%20Butenhof.htm
• Teen goes to middle east http://www.lynnclassical.org/MySpaceArticles2005_2006.htm
• Another blog about some MySpace incidents http://betterthenblog.blogspot.com/2006/03/myspace-is-devil-or-its-full-of-sexual.html
• These two met on myspace, she 14, he 18. They killed her parents. http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/young/borden_and_ludwig/index.html

Now I'm not saying that MySpace is all bad, I have connected with some high school friends through it. I've also known (know) people who have met "the love of their life" on MySpace, my friends of course all being out of the "teen/tween" category. I just think that parents need to be more careful with what they are letting their kids do on the computers, especially in open forums like MySpace.

Oh and did you hear about the people who post suicide notes on MySpace and actually do themselves in? Yeah it totally happenes, creepy no? Here's some articles 'bout it:
• A 20 yr. old soldier http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12518853/
• A 17 yr old teen, the original suicide http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=6d8134fbbe964d76f864b3b9682dcb19
• The original suicide note was posted here: http://www.myspace.com/jloveb it is no longer on the site and the site has been taken over as a tribute of sorts.
• A picture post of the original site: http://jblr.ytmnd.com/

There's also creeps out there who just post inappropriate stuff that is totally accessible to minors, now I know the whole internet is accessible to minors, but bad things posted on MySpace are particularly accessible as one can come across them clicking from profile to profile unaware of where the next click may take them.
• Man graphically brags about sexual encounters with high school girls. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,217060,00.html?sPage=fnc.technology/homecomputing
•Threats against fellow students lead to charges http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=4621990&nav=3YeX
• Kids pretending to be older than they are to get on MySpace http://www.ccs.k12.in.us/Creekside/Counselors/chicagomyspace.htm