Keeping Your Kids Safe on MySpace

What All Parents Should Know

Any parent will know just how popular MySpace is with kids. Millions of children across the globe are using Myspace to keep in contact with their friends. This is normally totally harmless, even if your child spends longer than you'd like sitting at the computer.

There is however, a hidden danger in MySpace and all social networking sites for children.

The Internet makes is easy for people to conceal their real identity. This apparent anonymity attracts all kinds of unpleasant characters. From identity thieves and hackers to stalkers and pedophiles. This is why it is important that all parents understand how to protect their children online.

A lot of the things you can do to keep your kids protected are common sense. Try to keep an eye on what your kids are doing online and whom they are talking to. This isn't always possible so here are some simple tips to help protect your kids.



1. Talk with your kids about MySpace. Make sure you communicate with your children about the dangers of MySpace. If they understand what Internet stalking and child predators are, you are providing them with the knowledge they need to protect themselves. Many parents avoid this and this is a big mistake. You don't need to get into graphic detail but you can warn them of the dangers that are out there.

2. Make sure that your child's MySpace page is made private. Profile pages can be either public or private on MySpace. A private page can only be viewed when the user personally invites someone. Make sure your kids know how to make their page private.

3. Make sure that your kids don't accept friend requests from strangers. On MySpace it's possible to deny all friend requests where the person doesn't know your last name. This is very useful in stopping potential predators. If you get your kids to use this feature they are only going to friend requests from people they actually know.

4. Ensure that your child keeps all private information off their MySpace page. Giving out information like last name, phone number or home address isn't a very smart thing to do. The chances are that no harm will come from posting this information but the potential risks make it worth keeping this type of information secret.

5. Be EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS if your child talks about meeting someone they met on MySpace or online. Predators will usually try to arrange a meeting. Make sure your child doesn't try to sneak off and meet someone from MySpace even if they say they are going with friends. Ideally, your child shouldn't be meeting anyone from MySpace. Such meetings can be very risky, as you never really know whom you are meeting. Even if you feel that the person who asks to meet your child is a genuine friend you should try to avoid such meetings and as a last resort, go along with your child to check the meeting is legitimate.

6. Make sure your kids understand about spamming and online scams. Most of the time your kids won't encounter people who are trying to rip them off or sell them things, but the Internet is full of such people. It doesn't harm to prepare your kids for what is out there. If your child wants to buy something online, always check it out personally to see if it is genuine or not.

7. Make your own MySpace account and add your kids. This will allow you to check on what your kids are doing on their MySpace page. Your child may not like the idea of sharing their MySpace page with you at first. It may help if you seem interested in making your MySpace page look good. Ask your kids to help you make your MySpace page look cool and you'll soon win them over and perhaps even have some fun "pimping" your MySpace profile page.

8. Explain to your kids what Phishing is. If you don't know what Phishing is yourself, shame on you! Phishing is when someone gains access to someone else's account information and uses it to access their account without permission. Never allow your kids to give out their account passwords, even if someone says they are from MySpace.


With these 8 simple tips, you will greatly reduce many of the online risks your children face. Don't be scared of MySpace, it is a great way for your kids to meet their friends and have some fun.

Like everything in life there are dangers, but as long as you take precautions there is no reason why MySpace can't be a place for your kids to enjoy.

This article is reproduced with kind permission of BarnabyBear on HubPages. You can read the original hubpage here... Keeping Your Kids Safe on MySpace.

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