Social Networking – Be Careful Of What You Post!

With the invention of exciting social networking sites such as Online Dating sites, MySpace, and others, it is important to examine where we should draw the line between a great networking opportunity and giving out too much personal information which may be dangerous to users, and especially when children or young adults are using these sites to meet “friends.”

Facebook and MySpace are rating among the top ten of overall hits on the Internet, and both lead the search engine Google.  These sites are a great way to meet new people and share information with others, but they are causing many people to worry.

These sites and others allow users to create and view profiles.  These profiles can contain all kinds of personal information such as phone numbers, date of birth, gender and address, as well as the more harmless hobbies, interests and dislikes.  Users can also upload and share pictures.

Paul Bishop, a 28-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, called Web sites like these “fertile grazing grounds for sexual predators, hotbeds of profanity and trashing, as well as tools for bullying and intimidation,” according to Meridian Magazine.  Chris Ahearn, who works at The Attorney Generals Office with the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children task force, said when someone is willing to supply their information, he isn’t sure they can be protected from predators.  The networking that goes on may seem harmless on these web sites where friendship and fun is the theme, however there is no way for a user to verify that the person they are communicating with is who they claim to be and that is where it can become a safety problem.

“It’s just an inherently unsafe circumstance because that person they are communicating with and arranging a rendezvous for can present themselves in any light they desire without that child being able to confirm information, and if that individual happens to be a sexual predator they put themselves in a very precarious situation,” Ahearn said.  He suggests that parents take charge of where their children go and what they do on the internet because the consequences can be unthinkable.  He also states that he is aware of several sexual assault cases that were the result of communication on myspace.  It is not worth taking the risk, especially when our children are involved.

BYU officials are also concerned with the safety of their students.  They do not monitor facebook or myspace for inappropriate material, however they are aware of the dangerous circumstances some students may be placing themselves in.

“Our primary concern is with the safety of our students that whatever the medium may be that they do not put something online that would be a threat to their safety or to the safety of others,” BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said.

The most important thing to remember when getting online, especially on these social networking sites, it to use extreme caution when divulging any private or personal information.  Absolutely never publish or give out sensitive information such as your phone number, addres, or social security number.  Even if someone asks for this information claiming to be a friend, do not risk sending it.  There are many people out there who know how to trick you and your children into divulging private information that they will then use to hurt your credit, harass you, or even put you in danger.  While many of these sites offer a fun and relaxed environment where teenagers can be themselves, and meet other people like themselves, they are still places where extreme caution needs to be exercised, especially if they are being visited by children.