Is Myspace or chat-rooms safe for kids?

We've all heard the headlines: "Myspace is dangerous for children", "Don't let your kids go on Myspace", and of course "Young child kidnapped after meeting stranger on Myspace".
These stories are tragic and true, Myspace can be a dangerous place for children to spend time unsupervised, but Myspace is not the only website that can be dangerous for children.

Any gathering place for kids can be dangerous without adult supervision

Myspace.com is a great way for friends to 'get together' (virtually, that is), share photos, create webpages and 'blog'. But myspace is not the only place on the internet to do these things. There are literally hundreds of other websites very much like Myspace, such as blogger.com, MSNSpaces, Yahoo, AOL, to name only a few. Any of these other websites can be just as dangerous for unsupervised children, as adult predators tend to migrate to wherever young people are - in the virtual world or the real world.

Internet Chat rooms can be more dangerous for children

Internet Chat rooms, where people can chat in real time by typing messages on the screen, can be even more dangerous places for children. Far more children have been stalked, harassed, kidnapped or exposed to pornographic material in live chat-rooms than on Myspace. And because there are hundreds of online chat rooms in Yahoo, MSN, AOL, IRC, Eyeball, etc, they are even easier for children to find.

Adult supervision and parental controls are the key to a child's safety on the internet

The key to keeping your child safe on the internet is you. Just as in 'real life', your supervision and guidance are key to keeping your kids safe on the internet. Tips for keeping your child safe when online

• Keep your PC in an open area: A computer in your child's room where you cannot see who they are chatting with can be dangerous.
• Be involved with your child: Know what your child is doing online by spending time online together
• Educate your child: In the same way all parents tell children to never talk to strangers, it is important to teach your child that the same thing goes with internet strangers. Be sure your child knows to never chat with someone they do not know, and more importantly, never reveal any identifying information such as real name, age, location, phone number, or even the school they attend
• Educate yourself: Get familiar with your computer, the internet, the lingo, and the dangers. The GrownUpGeek.com website is a great place to start learning some of these things.
• Get parental control software or hardware for your computer: Parental control software or hardware can help give you more control of what web sites your children can access, the time they can use the internet, and log what web sites or chat rooms they use. Some parental control hardware or programs can even record the text of online chats for later review. Parental control software and hardware is available online with prices ranging from $29 to well over $100 - a small price to pay if it helps you protect your children from internet predators.
  
  

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  How to find your child's Myspace password

  FBI Online Safety for kids:FBI.com