Social networking websites that have attracted millions of users are raising concerns that young people are unwittingly providing material for potential abusers. Authorities have become concerned at how children are using sites such as MySpace and YouTube to display personal details and, in some cases, intimate photographs and videos of themselves.

Time magazine describes MySpace, the leading social networking site, as the place where web stars are born, music and film careers are launched and some single people manage to find mates. It is now the most popular website in the US, boasting more than 100 million registered members. In the last year, traffic jumped from 17 million unique visitors per month to 54 million — more than Yahoo gets some weeks.

Teenage users of social networking sites often don't realize the information they post for their friends to see can also be viewed by people with questionable motives. They often fill their web pages with photos, music and videos from their cell phones, and link them to their friends' pages. Now UK authorities have begun an inquiry into the sites after concern from teachers and parents. Recently the head teacher of a UK girls' school wrote to parents raising concerns about students' use of teenage networking site Bebo. The school banned the site at the end of last year but children can still log on at home. Staff said they had become aware of girls posting images which could be considered "pornography in the hands of the wrong person". Social networking sites are also banned in all Irish schools, which have a filtering system which blocks out the sites; again, this will not stop students accessing the networks at home, and uploading potentially defamatory material about fellow students. Recently, a Dublin school suspended a number of students for writing objectionable comments about teachers on Bebo. Another school suspended a student for creating a page which singled out a particular student to be targeted and physically attacked.

Posing for MySpace

55% of all online American youths ages 12-17 use online social networking sites. For girls, social networking sites are primarily places to reinforce pre-existing friendships; for boys, the networks also provide opportunities for flirting and making new friends.

In the UK it is estimated that 61% children aged 13 to 17 have a personal profile on a social networking site and two-thirds of 12 to 19-year-old users hide online activities. A survey by the London School of Economics has shown that as many as one in 12 children have met someone offline who they first encountered on the web. Rob Nickel, author of Staying Safe in a Wired World: A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety, suggests parents sit with their children when they are producing their online profiles so they can discuss what's appropriate to put on there and what's not. He also urges parents to check out their children's friends' profiles. "You might see a picture of your own daughter on a friend's page — with her name on it. The best thing to do is sit down with the kids and let them show you what's going on. They'll love to show off — just ask how to download a music file."

MySpace makes it easy for young people to express themselves, connect with friends and make new ones, but what they post publicly could embarrass them or expose them to danger. Here are some common sense guidelines that should be followed when using MySpace: Don't forget that profiles and forums are public spaces. Don't post anything you wouldn't want the world to know (eg your phone number, address, IM screens name, or specific whereabouts). Avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find you, such as where you hang out every day after school. People aren't always who they say they are. Be careful about adding strangers to your friends list. It's fun to connect with new MySpace friends from all over the world, but avoid meeting people in person whom you do not fully know. If you must meet someone, do it in a public place and bring a friend or trusted adult. Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported. If you feel someone's behavior is inappropriate, react. Talk with a trusted adult, or report it to MySpace or the authorities. Don't post anything that would embarrass you later. Think twice before posting a photo or info you wouldn't want your parents or boss to see! Don't mislead people into thinking that you're older or younger. If you are under 14 and pretend to be older, customer service will delete your profile. If you are over 18 and pretend to be a teenager to contact underage users, customer service will delete your profile. Don’t get hooked by a phishing scam. Phishing is a method used by fraudsters to try to get your personal information, such as your username and password, by pretending to be a site you trust.

If I have learned anything in all my years dealing with teenagers, it is this: They are smart. Really smart. Smarter than we give them credit for. Because of the information age and access to different forms of media, they display a great capacity to learn, and they are not afraid to dig for the answers they seek. The struggles we faced when we were 18, they are facing when they are 12. Whether we like it or not, their intellectual maturation is light-years beyond where we were at that same age. The problem is that many teens do not have a firm spiritual and moral foundation to help them make wise decisions. They can tell you ten different positions in which to have sex, but they can't tell you why God designed it for marriage. They can tell you that Jesus died on the cross, but they can't tell you why He did so. They can tell you that talking on the cell phone, IMing their buddies, e-mailing their girlfriends, surfing on the Web, and hanging out on MySpace is cool, but they can't tell you why they like it or explain the dangers behind it. Our job is to determine the why. When we figure out why, we can formulate a plan to monitor how they participate in this whole world called MySpace. — Jason Illian, MySpace MyKids

Do you think that the concerns raised about sites such as MySpace and Bebo are valid? What can be done to protect young people who use these sites? Please get in touch and let me know what you think.

I have a MySpace profile and I thought everyone was crazy for thinking MySpace wasn't safe. But then I saw how many people were getting hurt from it. I think that MySpace could be a safe place, but there are too many people who give out too much information and it isn't smart at all. You are putting yourself in jeopardy... it's not MySpace's fault. — Brody

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