Think back to when you were a teenager. Where did you ‘hang out’? How did you socialize with your peers? Where were you? What time of day? So, did you go to a specific place? Do such places exist today? Do you let your teenagers do what you did? Why or Why not? What restrictions do today’s teenagers have that are different from what you had? So what avenues are left for them to socialize?
To make sure you have a fun and comfortable experience on MySpace, we let you control how other users contact you and view your profile.
Each profile contains two standard "blurbs" - "About Me" and "Who I'd Like to Meet." Profiles also can contain sections about standard interests, such as music, television, books, and movies, as well as specific personal details, such as marital status, physical appearance, and income. Profiles also contain a blog. A part of customizing one's MySpace is uploading images onto their site. One of the images can be chosen to be the "default image," the image that will be seen on the profile's main page. There is also a count of the friends the user has. A total of eight friends, or the "Top 8," is shown directly on the profile, with a link to view all of the user's friends. Below this is the "comments" section, wherein the user's friends may leave comments about the user for all viewers to read. Myspace profile layouts can have the entire look changed with many different editors. You can change your "Top 8" to show any number of friends you like. You can create custom colors, backround and foreground images, table style, scroll bar style and color, and various others.
Check "Require email or last name to add me as a friend" if you want other users to be required to know your email address or your last name in order to send you an add friend request (this prevents people who don't know you from trying to add you as a friend). Check "Approve Comments before Posting" if you want to review comments to your profile and journals before they are posted. Comments will NOT appear unless and until you approve them. Check "Hide Online Now" to make your online status invisible to other users. Check "Show My Birthday to my Friends" to alert your friends when your birthday is near. Check "No Pic Forwarding" to prevent other users from emailing links to your images from the site. Check "Friend Only Journal Comments" to allow only your friends to post comments on your blog entries. Check "Block Friend Request From Bands" to block unwanted friend request from bands.
Recent media coverage of underage MySpace profiles have sparked parental interest into what goes on in the popular website. Pedophiles have used MySpace as a means of meeting young people. Additionally, many underage users make the mistake of posting their telephone numbers or other identifying information. This compromises the safety of MySpace's members, no matter their age. However, a feature that the site has implemented is a way of setting your profile to "private." If one sets his/her age to under sixteen in "Basic Info", only existing friends or others with supposed age of eighteen or below will be able to view the profile, depending on selected privacy settings.
Don't forget that your profile and MySpace forums are public spaces. Don't post anything you wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., your phone number, address, IM screens name, or specific whereabouts). Avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find you, such as where you hang out every day after school People aren't always who they say they are. Be careful about adding strangers to your friends list. It's fun to connect with new MySpace friends from all over the world, but avoid meeting people in person whom you do not fully know. If you must meet someone, do it in a public place and bring a friend or trusted adult. Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported. If you feel someone's behavior is inappropriate, react. Talk with a trusted adult, or report it to MySpace or the authorities. Don't post anything that would embarrass you later. Think twice before posting a photo or info you wouldn't want your parents or boss to see! Don't mislead people into thinking that you're older or younger. If you lie about your age, MySpace will delete your profile.