Who is RESPONSIBLE

It has been a while since my last post. The main reason I fell behind in posts is because I failed the diet. Who wants to post their failures, not me. I have lost weight since then, a total of 12 solid pounds, with a loss of 15 pounds on a good day. I still need to lose another 10, but am taking my time. But today's log isn't about my weight, it is about MySpace.

MySpace is an online social network. I have been hesitant to join due to the lack of trust I have towards others, but I have finally broke down and joined the bandwagon. Recently MySpace has added more features to make your personal page more secure, allowing me to require others to know my full name to find me. I am not ready to share my page just yet as it is under construction. I have always followed my own path, some would call that unique, so following a predefined layout isn't my cup of tea. When it is ready, in a month or so, I will be sure to share it with my friends and family. Until then, the real issue of today's blog is RESPONSIBILITY.

It amazes me that so many people are willing to share their personal information with strangers, it is even more amazing that strangers want to read about other peoples ins and outs. What people need to realize is that not everyone on the internet has good intent. You need to be careful with the information you share, it is your responsibility to watch out for yourself.

In recent news, MySpace was sued because a child on MySpace stated she was sexually assaulted by another MySpace user. Mind you, someone she agreed to meet with. Is MySpace responsible?

I think that if the child was molested it is extremely horrible and my feelings go out to her and her family. More over, I hope they find and imprison the molester. However, I do not think that MySpace should be responsible. Parents need to monitor their children's internet use. They need to take responsibility for their child's safety instead of pointing the finger. I know that there are a lot of things children do that parents do not know about. But there is a thing called prevention. Before allowing your child access to the internet, parents should warn them of the dangers, the warning should be reiterated from time to time. Real life examples are key here, and with the internet, parents should be able to find plenty of facts and examples. Parents should also place the computer in a public room, a room that the family spends most of their time together in. In addition, parents should lock down the computer by requiring a password, known only by them, so that the child can only use the computer when they are around.

In some cases, locking down the computer is not the best option, especially when parents work late hours and children need access to the internet for school work. So what are some other options? Do a search on MySpace routinely to see if your child has created an account. You do not necessarily need to remove their account, but at least view their comments to see who is getting in touch with them. Or if your child has told you she or he is interested, help them sign up and make sure that you set the privacy settings. I still would recommend checking out their site from time to time to review the comments and make sure your child did not change the privacy settings. If they did, cancel that account immediately because you do not know what else they have been doing. It is also beneficial to teach your child how to handle a situation if it does progress that far. I would even go as far as taking them to a self-defense class. Another option is to install a monitoring tool that allows you to track your child's internet use.

Sadly enough, even with all the preventions in the world, things still happen. Educating your child may not have been enough, but taking the steps to decrease the possibilities will make you sleep better at night and might save your child's life. But again, the responsibility lies in the child and the parents themselves. The internet does have some responsibilities in trying to make their site secure, but there is only so much they can do. They definitely cannot confirm a persons age, which many privacy settings are based on. That does not mean you cannot report a crime or notify the website of indecentcies. If you have suggestions to make a site more secure, be sure to share it with them. And if you are unaware of the dangers, research the internet for articles and statistics. Lastly, stay aware and keep open communication with your children.

What are your thoughts? Is MySpace responsible? Take a survey.