A Parents Guide to Social Networking

From sock hops and malt shops to malls and skate parks, teenagers have always been social creatures. While the location changes from one generation to another, the basic bonding rituals remain the same: meet after school, and talk about everything from science teachers and the latest fashion to celebrities and crushes. But while teenage social behavior hasn’t changed much in the last hundred years, the gathering places themselves have undergone a radical transformation. And the new hotspots have created a lot of very worried parents.

In an age dominated by internet social networking sites, it’s not always easy to keep up with who your teen is talking to. And on the web, that can be a dangerous situation.

“It scares me to think that my daughters could be talking to anyone online. They spend so much time on MySpace and Facebook… how do I know they’re being safe?” -Zaida, mother of 2 teenage girls

The MySpace social networking site has grown to behemoth proportions, with thousands of new profiles being created every day. Most of these are teenagers looking to connect with friends and meet new people. But the problems lie in the rest of the MySpace population. Last year, MySpace officials deleted almost 30,000 profiles belonging to known sex offenders. But the website’s monitoring staff has no way of knowing who is posing as a 15 year old girl in order to gain the trust of unsuspecting teens. And neither do parents.

What concerned parents can do, however, is keep the lines of communication open with their children. Blocking the internet all together is never a good option, as it will just push your teen to get online elsewhere. Instead, be upfront with your kids, and let them know the real dangers of giving away too much information. Make sure you have your teen’s password, and check in on them. If they know you might be looking, they are less likely to do something foolish. Most importantly- get involved. Remember, even if you think the entire MySpace concept is foolish, it is important to your child. Time and again, studies have shown that parents that take an active interest in their young adult’s life run less risk of suffering an unpleasant surprise.

So make sure their profile is set to private; remind them never to post their last name, address, phone number, or school; and keep an eye out. They may roll their eyes at you now, but in the end, even the most ornery teen will realize that you cared enough to worry about them.