Online Safety for Kids | Child safety online

Posts Tagged ‘myspace’

I posted this same question in both the parenting and the computer/myspace section and I didn’t find what I was looking for, but was bashed by (I hope by children and teens) for wanting to "spy" on my child. So please don’t report me for posting here which seems to have some relatively bright adults here… I TRUST my 13 yr.-old daughter, but want to keep safety first. Does anyone know the best software in which to use to watch a child’s safety on the internet, particularly Myspace? Note: I’ve already made her space "private," have her password and keep the computer in the livingroom. The computer history just doesn’t show you everything. I’d be a neglectful mother if I didn’t watch my child’s safety. Any thoughts on software?
Yes, when I got her password I logged on and you wouldn’t believe the number of people on there who were adults! And chatting with her!!!! What these adults apparently do is make 2 sep. accounts: one is a "kid" account, they’re added to her friend’s list this way then they explain later that they’re really an adult and begin using (sometimes) their regular accounts to leave comments and chat w/ her. It’s not her I don’t trust, but the fact that she could be lead into such a thing. It’s the perverts I do not trust. I’m an educated adult and have raised her with very good safety values. But I’m NOT God and no one is a perfect parent. My friend does the sting work at the police dept. and he won’t allow his kids on Myspace or Facebook at all. Which actually speaks volumes.

I’ve been chatting with this guy on MySpace for several months. He’s never revealed his real name or posted any pictures of himself, which he said was because of Internet safety concerns, which I can understand, so I was cool with that. He’s sort of odd and geeky, but he’s nice and I like him. I just kind of assumed that he was some bored kid who was online without his parents’ permission looking for someone nice to talk to.

Well, just lately I found out that he’s somebody I actually knew in real life. I didn’t know him very well – we were passing acquaintances, and I didn’t even know his full name. I haven’t seen him in person for about a year. I’m pretty sure that he had a crush on me, but he always acted really shy and awkward so I didn’t ask him about it. Anyways, he knew who I was and he found me online.

I’m not quite sure what to make of this. His behavior seems kind of stalkerish, but then again he’s never acted like a stalker at all – he doesn’t send me messages all the time or ask me for personal information. As far as I know, everything he’s told me about himself is true – he just never told me his name. He’s never said anything inappropriate to me, and it seems like he was only looking for a friend the whole time. But I don’t understand why he felt the need to keep his identity a secret from me.

Any insights? :/

My younger brother just created a myspace. He’s 12 and I’m kinda worried. Especially because I know there are sick people out there who look for little kids online. He’s pretty naive for his age and probably doesn’t have a clue about internet safety. I made my myspace when I was 13 but I was more mature than he is now. Should I be worried? Should I ask him to delete it for his safety? Or just help him out and check and make sure he stays safe online? A couple of opinions would be nice.
Thanks!

please do not post silly answers, if you wish to participate, please complete the the questions below.

a)What internet sites like (bebo,myspace..) do you use?

b)Do you feel safe using these sites?

c)Which one do you think is easiest to use and why?

d)Do you talk to people you’ve never met, on IM/msn messenger?

e)Do accept adds on thses siters (myspace,bebo,facebook ect..) from people that you don’t actualy know?

f)If your a parent.. do you check up on your children when there on these sites?

thank you for your time, ..