Is Myspace Safe for Young People?

Online social communities are an increasingly popular addition to the internet that have developed over a relatively short period of time. Two of the most well known websites that can be classified as online social communities are: ‘Myspace’ (http://www.myspace.com) and ‘Facebook’ (http://www.facebook.com). These names should be familiar to most people, but what clearly defines an online community and what is their purpose? Many debate whether these websites are safe or a healthy way for teens to spend their spare time. In order to find out what these sites are really about, their general safety features should be analysed, as well as how serious the risks are. Once this topic is explored thoroughly, it will be clear that these websites are a safe environment for young people, considering they know how to protect themselves online. This essay’s focus will be on myspace because of its popularity with young users.

First of all, what is an online social networking website? An online social network is easiest to describe as an internet area where a large group of people interact. Myspace easily fits into the category of online social network. It is a large website that can be used to create online profiles for anyone over the age of 14. These profiles are viewable by other myspace users and are usually for networking amongst friends, family, co-workers and people with the same interests. Personal pages on Myspace are customisable because they allow the use of html codes to design the pages. Myspace is free to join because it collects money from selling advertising space. Being a fairly recent trend related to the internet, not everyone knows if it’s safe or a real form of communication technology.

Without question Myspace is a form of communication. Even though it is used through the internet, it is not quite the same as other popular choices with young people such as msn. Myspace has more different ways you can communicate to other users. The I.M. (instant message feature) allows online instant chat to other Myspace users when they are online. Messages can also be sent which are private, compared to comments which appear on the other person’s profile page after they are sent. Communication on Myspace is usually different from having a conversation to someone on msn, this is because it all depends on when the receiver logs on to read your sent message. Issues regarding this communication that concerns most parents and teachers are the privacy of personal information and the general safety of teens.

Communication conducted on myspace is mostly up to the users. This means that personal information can be posted online for others to view, if users are not educated about online protection. There are rules that apply on myspace regarding cyber bullying and abuse, and the people who do this can be reported. There are also privacy options available for Myspace users. Profile pages can be made completely private excluding accepted friends. This ensures only people who the user knows can see their page. Also, Myspace has now narrowed the search options to users only over the age of 18. Even though Myspace is constantly trying to improve security on the website, parents and teachers are still very worried about the risks of online communication with possible strangers.

Parents and teachers are concerned about who are really on Myspace and whether it is safe to chat online. They also worry about these websites being a distraction from school work and generally teens’ lives. Most adults however, are completely unaware of how Myspace works and that there are privacy options and tips on how to stay safe online. The author of the book; “Own Your space”, Linda McCarthy has a few basic tips on how to stay safe online. These include: don’t bully other teens online, don’t give out physical information, don’t meet people face to face alone without your parents knowing and be careful of the age group you hang out with online. These are very simple tips, but if followed can save a lot of problems using a social network such as Myspace. It is fair to say that parents should be worried about their teens online, but do they know what they are dealing with?

Most young people are well aware of the risks involved with creating a profile online, and can tell whether something suspicious is happening. Some adults need to give teenagers some credit when it comes to looking after themselves. A study conducted by the University of New Hampshire states that unwanted online solicitations are down 6% from 1999 to today. Considering between these years social networking sites have risen in popularity, this proves that they are a safe environment for young people. Most parents aren’t sure what their children are doing online, because not all parents are aware of their teens using a social networking website such as Myspace in the first place.

Parents and teachers are very concerned with safety when it comes to Myspace and similar networking websites. Most are scared of online solicitations and peer pressure on these web pages because of the negative attention given to them by the media. This makes parents and teachers think that Myspace is evil and its purpose is to distract and corrupt teenagers. Because of this, most adults don’t know how significant Myspace is to new communication technology and think it is just a fad. But the reality is that it is undoubtedly a new addition to technology and is another modern way we communicate to one another. As well as being a significant part of the online culture of today, Myspace has its bases covered when it comes to safety. This investigation proves that young people who know basic online protection can safely enjoy online social networks.

Bibliography

Boyd, Danah, “Identity Production in a Networked Culture: Why Youth Heart MySpace.” (2006) American Association for the Advancement of Science, http://www.danah.org/papers/AAAS2006.html <viewed 25th May 2008>

Chan, Adrian. “Myspace Case Study Draft” http://www.gravity7.com/articles_G7_SID_case_myspace_v2.html <viewed 9th May 2008>

D’Andrade, Hugh. “Is Myspace Safe for Kids?” http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2007/04/myspace-safe-kids <viewed 9th May 2008>

Larry D. Rosen, Ph.D. California State University (2006) “Adolescence in Myspace: Identity Formation, Friendship and Sexual Predators” http://www.csudh.edu/psych/Adolescents%20in%20MySpace%20-%20Executive%20Summary.pdf <viewed 9th May 2008>

McCarthy, Linda. 2007, Own Your Space: Keep Yourself and Your Stuff Safe Online, Addison-Wesley.

Myspace, “Privacy Policy” <2008> http://www.myspace.com/Modules/Common/Pages/Privacy.aspx <viewed 9th May 2008>

USA Today, “Children less likely to encounter online predators” (2006) http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/internetprivacy/2006-08-08-kids-online-survey_x.htm <viewed 9th May 2008>

Essay Outline

Essay Outline

Theme: Online Social Communities

Topic: Online social communities such as myspace are a safe communication environment for young people.

My argument is to prove that the negative publicity social networks (such as myspace) have is over the top. I think parents and teachers worry too much about safety online, and if you are careful, social networks are a fun and safe place to spend time.

I will also look at the other side of the argument which includes parents and teachers worrying about students losing interest in normal life because myspace can be considered a distraction.

I have researched so far only on the internet for studies/articles related to the introduction of myspace to normal teenage life, and found more than I first expected.

Most of the research I have conduced so far is in favour of my argument, however there are definitely other sides of this issue available as well.

I will explore some of the following ideas in my essay:

• What is myspace
• Myspace as a form of communication
• Is this communication safe
• Is there enough privacy
• Do young people understand the risks
• Are parents fully aware of this as a new form of communication
• Overall the acceptance and safety of myspace

Hopefully through these topics, I will be able to prove my argument and convince others that myspace is a fun and safe communication environment for young people, considering they know basic privacy defence.

References:

Larry D. Rosen, Ph.D. California State University (2006) “Adolescence in Myspace: Identity Formation, Friendship and Sexual Predators” http://www.csudh.edu/psych/Adolescents%20in%20MySpace%20-%20Executive%20Summary.pdf <viewed 9th May 2008>

USA Today, “Children less likely to encounter online predators” (2006)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/internetprivacy/2006-08-08-kids-online-survey_x.htm <viewed 9th May 2008>

Adrian Chan, “Myspace Case Study Draft” http://www.gravity7.com/articles_G7_SID_case_myspace_v2.html <viewed 9th May 2008>

Hugh D’Andrade, “Is Myspace Safe for Kids?”

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2007/04/myspace-safe-kids <viewed 9th May 2008>

Myspace, “Privacy Policy” <2008>

http://www.myspace.com/Modules/Common/Pages/Privacy.aspx <viewed 9th May 2008>

Internet Field Trip

(Part Two)

I chose to compare MSN Messenger and ‘IMVU’ for my blogging task. I believe that apart from the obvious 3D differences between the two forms of internet communication, there are differences between the forms. I find that talking on MSN is very personal and familiar. You can choose who you have on your friends list, and you have to approve other members before they can talk to you. I find this makes me feel safe while chatting online. It is possible for others on the internet to easily make up a fake account or imitate someone else you know, so it isn’t 100% safe just because of the security options.

After checking out IMVU, I found that the 3D chatting environment is a lot different to using MSN. Apart from having your own character and the ability to perform actions, I find that it is a more anonymous type of internet communication. No one on this type of internet chat room uses there real name or image, so it’s impossible to tell if you are talking to a genuine person online. I find this sort of environment a bit weird and at times boring because most people don’t hang around for long.

I don’t think this would be the best environment to have a long conversation with friends for a few reasons. It takes a long time to load the surroundings for each chat room and other characters with this program, so it would be bad for people with slow internet connections. I think the communication lags because every message has to load in a bubble and appear in the 3D world. I also think this would be bad for conversations with friends because anyone can join in and listen without needing permission. IMVU would be more suitable for people who wish to meet people around the world and maybe have casual conversation.

To me, MSN seems more suitable for those who are wanting to talk to friends and family conveniently at any time without having to wait for the program and other avatars to load. Proper private conversations are not possible in IMVU, but 3D characters and actions are not available using MSN. I believe the popularity of 3D chat rooms could lead to much more advanced chat rooms in the future.

After looking around at IMVU I would definitely have to stick with my MSN messenger preference, I find it’s more suitable for my needs in a chat program and it’s less distracting.

Working with Programs

(Part One)

Microsoft Word

Our task was to complete several small exercises in Microsoft Word. I found most of these extremely easy, I however found the last exercise a little confusing because I haven’t used the mailing option in Word before. I find this program very useful in many ways. I use it to format photos before printing, writing letters, assignments, editing html code, making checklists and much more. I find the software simple and easy to use and it is one of the most used programs on my computer at home.

I didn’t come across any problems while completing the exercises, but if I did I would have used the help option to sort it out. I think Word is great for so many different things and it can be used to make some really creative things. I have also used it to create flow charts, diagrams, word art and palm cards.

Microsoft Excel

The first 3 exercises related to Excel were very easy for me to complete, but I had trouble with the last task and failed to successfully follow the instructions. With the sections I could complete, I also found it straight forward like Microsoft Word. It was easy to enter figures, charts and formulas. There were also options that allowed time saving like being able to click and drag the formulas. This program could be used to great effect as a way to keep track of business accounts, or just personal finance tracking. I think I would easily be able to use this as a way of keeping track of my money, or creating my own budget.