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Is MySpace a Safe Internet Venue for Teens?

It is becoming increasingly evident that, when bad things happen with teens or teens make bad choices, parents will clutch every straw in the blame game that they can. Let's face it; our teens are as safe in life as the smarts and common sense their parents instill in them. So, is Myspace a safe Internet venue for teens? It is as safe as the time you, the parent, has invested in teaching your teen to be safe and to act responsible.

If parents take the time to set up boundaries, to teach their children before they become teens how to be smart and use common sense reasoning, and stay vigilantly involved in their child's life they will have the moxie and wisdom to stay safe in any online venue. Do you let your child cross the street without first showing them how to properly approach the situation? Do you let your child go to a friend's house without ever meeting the parents of that friend? Do you teach your child about "Stranger Danger" who may approach them on the streets? If you have not been equipping your child from a very young age with intelligent reasoning, then you cannot blame Myspace or any other online venue of being unsafe.

You, the parent, have to make online use safe for your teen. Parents have to teach their children from the moment they decide that they have Internet privileges the hard cold fact of life that there are people out in this world that prey upon the innocence of youth. Teach them about not giving out information about themselves, and that if anyone approaches them online and asks for information such as their full name, there address, there phone number, there school name, etc, that they should not give the information and they should immediately tell you their parent.

If you are allowing your teen to have access to the Internet without supervision or monitoring, then you are setting up an environment where the teen can fall into an unsafe situation. You should know what sites your teen is navigating. You should have a rule of all passwords and access information is given to you the parent. You should know what is on your teen's Myspace, and make sure they are not associating with inappropriate content. Basically, it is a privilege you are giving your teen, and with any privilege comes conditions and limitations.

Myspace only becomes an unsafe venue when you the parent allow it to become an unsafe venue. Know what your teen is saying, know how your teen presents their self in this public forum, and vigilantly monitor their online activities. So, if you really want to keep Myspace safe for your teen, then you as their parent have to be part of their online activity.

Learn more about this author, Jan Castagnaro.
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