Friday, March 03, 2006
The dangers of Facebook, MySpace?
There have been several articles recently about Facebook and MySpace and the problems they have caused for some kids and the schools they attend. In case you don't have teenagers in the house, here's what they are. Facebook is a social networking site aimed at college students. Students have profiles where they can post pictures and information about themselves. They link to other students by listing them as friends. There are also discussion forums and groups. Staff and faculty (anyone with a brynmawr.edu email address) can have accounts too. If you want to see what it's all about, create an account for yourself (facebook.com).
MySpace is similar, but has appealed primarily to high school students and younger. MySpace does have a blog component (which facebook lacks). More on that later. Recently, MySpace has been blocked from many schools and several students have been suspended because of the questionable nature of some of the content they've posted on their MySpace profile. This Wired News article points out that there are two main concerns over MySpace. One is this questionable content and the other is the sexual predators that lurk there. The article points out that the risk of being approached by a sexual predator online is less likely than it is in other situations. In the cases of problematic content, some of the students are involved in lawsuits, claiming a violation of their free speech. In the case of sexual predators, it's primarily of matter of educating parents. Many parents don't know that MySpace exists and are generally unaware of what their kids are doing online. My own kids, at the ages of 10 and 6, have already had stressed to them that they are not to reveal personal information about themselves and must get permission from us to go online.
Parents also have misunderstood other kinds of technology, such as the Nintendo DS which they believed, through its chat program, could leave kids vulnerable to predators. Of course the predator would have to be in the house for the wireless connection to work, and then they have bigger problems than the chat program.
College faculty should be aware of these sites as well, not so much because of their potential dangers (which are few, in my opinion), but to consider them opportunities for learning. As coursework increasingly goes online, in the form of public blogging or online projects, students need to become increasingly aware of how to create a public persona, to learn how to present themselves appropriately and how to participate effectively in an online community (which leads to appropriate participation in offline communities). Another thing to consider is the familiarity college students have with sites such as MySpace and Facebook. This is their version of online, so if you want them to participate in an online forum or blogging, you may need to break them of some habits developed in those spaces (and which were appropriate there) and teach them more "academic" ways of writing and interacting online. For me, this flack over MySpace and Facebook casts a shadow over more positive online activities such as blogging. Often schools and parents and educators lump blogging in with such sites (especially MySpace which has a blog component), when really, they are dramatically different kinds of activities. Blogging involves reading, writing and thinking critically. For local examples, see WOI and blogs.brynmawr.edu. Further, rather than teaching students how to participate online safely and effectively and guiding them to more appropriate sites, parents and educators respond by blocking them from being online. This is a mistake. We can't keep our heads in the sand forever.
MySpace is similar, but has appealed primarily to high school students and younger. MySpace does have a blog component (which facebook lacks). More on that later. Recently, MySpace has been blocked from many schools and several students have been suspended because of the questionable nature of some of the content they've posted on their MySpace profile. This Wired News article points out that there are two main concerns over MySpace. One is this questionable content and the other is the sexual predators that lurk there. The article points out that the risk of being approached by a sexual predator online is less likely than it is in other situations. In the cases of problematic content, some of the students are involved in lawsuits, claiming a violation of their free speech. In the case of sexual predators, it's primarily of matter of educating parents. Many parents don't know that MySpace exists and are generally unaware of what their kids are doing online. My own kids, at the ages of 10 and 6, have already had stressed to them that they are not to reveal personal information about themselves and must get permission from us to go online.
Parents also have misunderstood other kinds of technology, such as the Nintendo DS which they believed, through its chat program, could leave kids vulnerable to predators. Of course the predator would have to be in the house for the wireless connection to work, and then they have bigger problems than the chat program.
College faculty should be aware of these sites as well, not so much because of their potential dangers (which are few, in my opinion), but to consider them opportunities for learning. As coursework increasingly goes online, in the form of public blogging or online projects, students need to become increasingly aware of how to create a public persona, to learn how to present themselves appropriately and how to participate effectively in an online community (which leads to appropriate participation in offline communities). Another thing to consider is the familiarity college students have with sites such as MySpace and Facebook. This is their version of online, so if you want them to participate in an online forum or blogging, you may need to break them of some habits developed in those spaces (and which were appropriate there) and teach them more "academic" ways of writing and interacting online. For me, this flack over MySpace and Facebook casts a shadow over more positive online activities such as blogging. Often schools and parents and educators lump blogging in with such sites (especially MySpace which has a blog component), when really, they are dramatically different kinds of activities. Blogging involves reading, writing and thinking critically. For local examples, see WOI and blogs.brynmawr.edu. Further, rather than teaching students how to participate online safely and effectively and guiding them to more appropriate sites, parents and educators respond by blocking them from being online. This is a mistake. We can't keep our heads in the sand forever.
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i honestly do not think facebook or myspace are dangerous. you have your own right to post what you want on the internet, and what happens with colleges and such was your lack of judgement.
-from a caring high school student.
-from a caring high school student.
I don't think it's dangerous either. That was my point. And my point also is that it's silly to just call the sites dangerous and ban them. Instead, people should be taught good judgement (not everyone has it) about what to put online.
Okay one thing i have a myspace and its not dangers at all but you really should think about this there are some people on myspace that shouldnt be on it at all. Because the act like there 18yr old and there not and really more like 14 yrs olds. trying to attracted old men to them then the men get into trouble. The Myspace company should be just like facebook for the people who are in college with college email address then there wouldnt be any body posting these faults articlics on the internet in the Show original post .. that some lame shit.
Okay one thing i have a myspace and its not dangers at all but you really should think about this there are some people on myspace that shouldnt be on it at all. Because the act like there 18yr old and there not and really more like 14 yrs olds. trying to attracted old men to them then the men get into trouble. The Myspace company should be just like facebook for the people who are in college with college email address then there wouldnt be any body posting these faults articlics on the internet in the Show original post .. that some lame shit.
I honestly do not think facebook or myspace are dangerous. You have your own right to post what every you want on the internet, and what happen with colleges and such was lack of judgement.
I honestly believe that tom made myspace for a perpose and that prepose was to let all young people have there freedom on the internet were they can related and talk about anything they want.
And my point is Who every wrote this article you should do research in myspace post your self a bullentin and see your results on the internet and then ask around. but people on myspace either are acters actress or artist and there trying to get there music out there not famous one but other local bands soo if you took this to the FAC then what the Warner Bros are going to shut down myspace. that nutz then what are people going to spend all there time on yahoo
get real.
I honestly believe that tom made myspace for a perpose and that prepose was to let all young people have there freedom on the internet were they can related and talk about anything they want.
And my point is Who every wrote this article you should do research in myspace post your self a bullentin and see your results on the internet and then ask around. but people on myspace either are acters actress or artist and there trying to get there music out there not famous one but other local bands soo if you took this to the FAC then what the Warner Bros are going to shut down myspace. that nutz then what are people going to spend all there time on yahoo
get real.
I honestly do not think facebook or myspace are dangerous. You have your own right to post what every you want on the internet, and what happen with colleges and such was lack of judgement.
I honestly believe that tom made myspace for a perpose and that prepose was to let all young people have there freedom on the internet were they can related and talk about anything they want.
And my point is Who every wrote this article you should do research in myspace post your self a bullentin and see your results on the internet and then ask around. but people on myspace either are acters actress or artist and there trying to get there music out there not famous one but other local bands soo if you took this to the FAC then what the Warner Bros are going to shut down myspace. that nutz then what are people going to spend all there time on yahoo
get real.
I honestly believe that tom made myspace for a perpose and that prepose was to let all young people have there freedom on the internet were they can related and talk about anything they want.
And my point is Who every wrote this article you should do research in myspace post your self a bullentin and see your results on the internet and then ask around. but people on myspace either are acters actress or artist and there trying to get there music out there not famous one but other local bands soo if you took this to the FAC then what the Warner Bros are going to shut down myspace. that nutz then what are people going to spend all there time on yahoo
get real.
I randomly found this post, but I really feel obligated to say that almost everyone who commented on it are living proof of the dangers of myspace and facebook. The interne, or peoples' abuse of the internet, has led to a disgusting drop in grammar and spelling skills. It's hard to take what someone has to say seriously when they misspell so many of their words.
Facebook or MySpace are dangerous if you let it get dangerous. If you have a private site, no one can know anything about you unless they are your friend and you confirm that. The mistake that people make is accepting just anyone, and letting predators get your address, phone number, school info, etc. Be smart and you'll be fine. I'm not bias on this argument because I see both sides. It's both dangerous and not dangerous depending on the your choices.
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