need your myspace opinion

HELP!!!!! My 11 yr old son wants a myspace page. According to him, which I wouldn't doubt with the kids at this age, these days, "Every one has one".

Just would like your opinion on the site.

 

I have a MySpace account simply because my sisters both use it for communication. I consistently get messages from "people" with provocative pictures and messaging. I do believe that they have an age indicator on the site so that there is some filtering of information to the appropriate age group (adult / child). But, as Steve_East9 pointed out it is ultimately your responsibility to monitor your child's activity on the internet. My children would consider me a prick because there is no way they would be allowed to have a MySpace page or chat or anything of that nature at the age of 11, strictly for information searching (with me right there) and for school work (with internet disabled).

 

Thank you Steve, I have read over the info you gave me. Lots of good stuff there! I still have not decided if he can have one or not. I have been talking to some people and they say there is a filter you can put on for kids. they also told me that there a question that people have to answer correctly for them to be able to contact my kid..... I'll just have to look into it myself. IF I do decide to let him have it, I would have to have his password and stuff so that I can monitor what's going on.

But so you know, my kids are not allowed on the internet without me knowing. And they know which sites they can go to (they have 2 game sites). And the computer is in a room with no door and your back to the door when on the computer, so it would be difficult for them to get on a site they should not be without me seeing. But I still monitor them! Hopefully I have them so scared right now they know not to "wonder"! I told them I can find out exactly which sites they went to and if I find out they went to ones they shouldn't they will not be allowed to use the computer for at least a month! They know their tracks can be followed because of a recent thing that happened at Grandma's with someone else much older going to a porn site! Grandpa said he was gonna monitor EVERYONE and whoever he finds going there would never be allowed to use his computer again!

When they are doing any type of research for school, I'm the one that types the information in to bring stuff up, find the info they need, or a good site for them to research then let them read it. Then if they need more, I find it, I don't let them do it themselves in case something "bad" shows up. I know when they get older, they will do more themselves, but right now, I find it more of a comfort to me if I do it. It's just hard to believe schools have 3rd and 5th graders reseraching the internet!:confused

 

Thank you LauraR. The more I think about it, the less chance he has! He does have an email account that he has had for a couple of years now. My mom set it up so that they could email each other while she lives in AZ for the school year. I have monitored it. He has done every well with it. If he has questions, he asks me. He does have very few contacts (like both grandmas, my brother, us, his other uncle and cousin and one or 2 friends). I really appreciate the comment about being "well above the average parent." I may not know near everything that is out there on the internet, but I make him think I do! And he sure knows that I know everything he does on the computer! I personally think (with him) that if he got a "page" it would be exciting for a few weeks, then gradually die off and he wouldn't go to it all that much. (kind of like what happened with his email. He used to check it daily and now he checks it maybe every 2-3 weeks, if he remembers or I tell him Grandma told me she sent an email.


Major Attitude......I try to protect my kids from music with swearing in it. But yes, they do listen to rap (hip hop).....but so do I and so does their dad. We are a little bit younger. I do not however, listen to the songs that have the swearing, and they are allowed to only put the "clean" songs (radio versions) on their mp3 players, and I'm the one who downloads songs on them, and check their mp3 players to make sure they haven't downloaded from someone else's house!

 

Oh, he's asked me for a cell phone, but he's not getting one before I do! There have been many times I needed one, but it's a bill we can't afford right now!

It just seems to me kids these days are growing up way to fast.

 

Maybe get him a pre-paid phone, and make him do chores to earn the money for the pre-paid outlay.

This might offer additional protection, and info for you. I've never used one, so can't comment on its' effectiveness.

Bazza

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Moved to Lounge - not a tech issue.

 

No, not at 11 years old. I'm 20, I have a page, and I spent an hour setting up my privacy settings to cut out 98% of the garbage that makes its way to me daily. I still get some things youngins should not be seeing. Even the advertising can be a little sketchy some times. Plus he's not even old enough to use the site. From their TOS:

Of course other kids lie about their ages, and still have profiles, but the age restriction is there for good reason.