Concerned Parents Online

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Thank you Mr. Rothberg, for the following, insightful comment posted yesterday:

When I speak with students about posting information on-line to social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace or any other site, I tell them that it is like getting a tattoo. Most people do not believe that there is anything inherently wrong with getting a tattoo but you have to realize that you will have it forever and there will be people who will see it who you don't want to see it and that could end up hurting you in some way. If you're not prepared to have an employer, police officer, college admissions counselor, insurance company, future spouse, etc. see your dirt, then don't post it on-line anywhere.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

An interesting trend in a web-based world... 11.1% of employers use social networking sites as part of their potential employee background check.

http://www.collegerecruiter.com/weblog/archives/2006/11/10_of_employers.php

Post at your own risk.

For both of today's postings, can we please say "gone too far"? Attached is an article entitled "They're on Death Row... and also on MySpace." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4327209.html

And below (next posting) is an excerpt about how teens in New York are hiring MySpace consultants to maximize online popularity. Hopefully the consultants are telling these teens how to avoid the members we discuss above.

NYC Teens now hiring "Facebook-Myspace consultants"
(via newsgirl.awardspace.co.uk) – Michelle Gaubernec, a New York city-based advertising consultant has found new market in helping young girls make their online pages worth the hype. She specializes in coodinating the best material for her clients pages.

Friday, November 10, 2006

From the mouths of teens...

The following article was posted at http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpn2x4968738nov10,0,2550107.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines and was written by a high school senior:

Recently there has been a flood of articles regarding MySpace.com and similar teen networking Web sites. Adults are baffled by the new fad and nervous about this outlet that gives teens the power to converse with hundreds of strangers from their own bedrooms.

My advice? Calm down!

MySpace, Facebook.com and Xanga.com are not going to kill the generation of tomorrow. While all major magazines and newspapers try to figure out just why the young adults of America seem to have fallen under the MySpace spell, I'll let you in on the secret: We join these Web sites because they're fun.

You can design your own background and page layout (all of those professors who have been encouraging girls to get into technology, this is your dream come true!), post funny pictures of yourself, communicate with your friends, and write about yourself in whatever way you want to show your personality. And while the old saying, "It's only fun until someone gets hurt," still holds true, there are a few easy steps teens should take to stay safe.

First, don't be stupid about pictures. Don't expose your body or post pictures of yourself doing something illegal. None of your peers at school really care whether you drink, but people who do care - college admissions officials and your parents - are smart enough to find the evidence online.

Next, that little "about me" section is supposed to be about you in general, not your favorite alcoholic drink or best pickup line. Girls write epic novels about how they are lonely and looking for true love. I hate to break it to you, but you aren't going to find it in cyberspace.

Last, don't fill in where you live or your last name. It isn't necessary, and it's safer not to share that information.

By following these rules, which are common sense, parents and their kids can be happy. And despite what articles say, MySpace and the Internet have not become the modern teenager's "soda shop" or hangout: We do actually like to see each other face to face, too.

Written in the voice of the contemporary age group, this young woman manages to express some real world common sense with a teenage spin. And her message is clear- be safe, be smart.

Found this online- made me laugh.

STANDUP: MYSPACE CRASHES. WORLD PANICS.
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/10/06
BY ED KAZ!
COMEDY CORRESPONDENT/
INTERNET WATCHDOG

The popular Internet angst engine known as MySpace crashed last night at approximately 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Bloggers from Boston to Beijing could be seen wandering aimlessly in the streets, sort of like that R.E.M. video.

"I never seen nothin' like it," remarked Pucky O'Houlihan, a retired drill-press operator in Wilmington, Del. "It was all these people just walking in circles taking pictures of themselves and mumbling something about a refresh button. I locked my doors."

Internet experts speculate that the crash may have been the result of one too many Johnny Depp photo uploads or possibly an oversaturation of animated glittery rainbow backgrounds.

One MySpace member from Brick, who would only give her name as LUVDEPP4EVR, expressed shock, dismay and disorientation. "LiKe wHaT aM I gOnNa dO NoW? LiKe dO mY HoMeWorK oR tAlK tO mY pAreNtS? (Expletive deleted)!!!"

Other MySpacers, like ConspiracyDooJoor of Fairview Junction, N.D., suspected a possible conspiracy. "Here's what I think. I think that they took all that music download money and ran off with it. And you know what? Bush knew."

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Happy Halloween!

Before you let the little ones out on a sugar-buzzed trick or treating marathon, check out the following website. A local radio station suggested parents look into this pre-Halloween- it allows you to plug in your address and see a map of all the registered sex offenders living in your vicinity- includes a photo, address, and offense description. In keeping our children safe, we need to tell them where not to go...

www.familywatchdog.us

Monday, October 30, 2006

Contrary to what readers might think, I really don't spend day in and day out searching the Internet for MySpace information. I have Google alerts sent to my inbox so that each time social networking sites make the news, I know about it.

Today my inbox was flooded with posts claiming that MySpace's day is done- that Generation My has lost their interest with the social networking site and are on to the next fad.

Statistics such as these, courtesy of http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2006/10/some_stats_on_m.html, point in that direction:

Teens (users aged 12 to 17) represent only 11.9% of MySpace's audience -- a drop from 24.7% in August 2005.

Internet users aged 35 to 54 account for 40.6% of MySpace's visitor base -- up 8.2% in the past year.

68% of MySpace users, 71% of Friendster users, and 43.7% of Facebook users are over age 25.

34% of Facebook users, 18.1% of MySpace users, and 15.6% of Friendster users are 18-to 24-year-olds.

Only 11.3% of all internet users are 18- to 24-year-olds.

So maybe our youth has moved past this fad and onto the next. Parents across the country are collectively letting out a sigh of relief.

But the fad happened, the lesson is learned, and our understanding is changed- it's a big virtual world out there and we need to be keenly aware of just what our kids are doing in it.

Monday, October 16, 2006

AP Wire | 10/13/2006 | California teen questioned over threats to Bush posted on MySpace

It's not just friends and family checking out MySpace. In this article, a teenager is tracked down through MySpace by the FBI...

Friday, October 06, 2006

MySpace: Not Just For The Under 30 Crowd: "More than 50% of its users in August were over 35."

MySpace- not just for teens and tweens anymore. Looks like more and more parents are logging on. According to the article: More than 50% of its users in August were over 35.

Two good reasons to log on to MySpace:

1. Monitor your children's online activity and watch out for personal information posted on their page.
2. Re-connect with old friends! If it's kept the kids' attention this long, then there might be something in it for us too!

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