MySpace: Murdoch's big hope, parents' nightmare

As he learns how to turn MySpace's members into higher revenue, another concern remains: its teen denizens' safety.

The story "MySpace: Murdoch's big hope, parents' nightmare" published February 19, 2006 at 11:25 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[unknown unknown]

How can a high school band MySpace accounts for their students?

School's have gotten in trouble before for overreaching behavior. There are several example's of school's being smacked down by the court when they've punished students for activities done at home that school administrators didn't like.

[hoshie]

Very good point...

You have a very good point here. I can see how MySpace can be blocked on a technological level, but I fail to see a kid can be for having an account unless there's a person who patrols MySpace everyday looking for students at that school. I doubt that myself.

[csi_berlin]

They can and will!

Children are legally unpersons, lacking Rights that normal
people have/use on a daily basis.

Based upon that, schools illegally thrust upon the population
their control on children, saying that they know what's best for
the children.

This idea comes from The Communist Manifesto, where Karl
Marx writes, " . . . it takes a village to raise a child."

Also, it is discussed at great length by Plato in The Republic,
which Plato doesn't describe a republic at all, but a commune.

The schools, which keep sucking taxes and spending them on
the administrators, assume power of the parent without
objection from the communities which they serve and start
dictating to parents about how to raise their children, and that
the parents must comply for go to jail (for what crime, that's
unknown most of the time).

If the schools know what's best, like telling the children they
can't go onto myspace.com . . . that's a load of it! These are the
same schools where teachers are molesting students, hanging
out with students, spending much of their time on
myspace.com, too, students selling drugs to each other,
screwing each other, especially at schools, where bunk
philosophies are pushed as false truths, and where the public
has no Right to dictate the better adimistration, though they pay
for it.

[mess483]

Best

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[JenMarie]

Myspace

i dont think that myspace is a bad program. i use it. i think that some people do put too much on there and make their lives too revealing, which is not appropriate. but thats not everyone. and i dont think that myspace should get shut down for that.

[serenityree]

Safety is Important!

As a parent and concerned citizen I feel strongly that our community needs to do everything possible to ensure childrens safety. Young teens, and even older teens and those in their early twenties don't realize how dangerous the world truly is. Even when they do realize this fact, they assume bad things happen to others, not ever to them. It is up to adults who realize terriable things can happen to anybody to step up and protect the most vulnerable of our society. Websites need to take responsibility in what they put out on the web and who they allow to participate in the content contained in what they create. While this is a capitalistic society, and I have no problem with this, it is a moral obligation to ensure profits are not at the expense of a childs health and safety. With that said, it is also the responsibility of anybody working directly with vulnerable members of society to also work in providing protection. I know most parents deeply love their children and do all they can to provide safety. However, with how large the web has become, with the power it provides for good, it also is a means for preditors to find prey. Parents can no longer be solely responsible to combat the evils some perpetrate against thier children. This is just too big, too huge, for parents alone to do battle against. We all must take a stand and do all in our power to protect our most vulnerable and valuable assets, our children. The time of looking aside is over. Anybody who sees a child engrossed in events which can threaten their safety, their lives and emotional health, must take action to assist in keeping them safe. I believe schools have every right and a moral responsibility to restrict access to sites which could potentially be threatening to children in the school. If they don't they are criminally negligent of those in their care. Parents can not spend all day in school with their children. Parents trust the schools their children attend for a large portion of each week day, to provide the protection they can not. Adults in internet cafe's also have a responsibility to stand up and take note of under age children accessing areas which are dangerous. I know if I saw a child involved in a dangerous activity, did nothing, and something happened I would feel responsible. I should feel responsible. If I had spoken up, brought it to the attention of somebody who could act on what was happening, that child could have avioded hurt or death. Each individual in our society, in our world, needs to understand we are all responsible for the wellbeing and health of the children around us. Parents need all the help they can get in these days of internet chat rooms, internet "spaces" where people can have access to our children. I hope we as responsible adults act to protect our children.

[serenityree]

How sad

How sad to see somebody so angry they would disregard childrens safety. I don't know or really care what issue is causing this attitude. All I care about is keeping children safe. It has become nearly impossibe for parents alone to keep children safe in this age if the internet. The internet is too huge, too free. It really is a community, a society, issue, not just a "home" issue, any longer. I am sorry for those who feel schools invade, but I am glad they are taking action to ensure childrens welfare. I am glad the administrators, teachers, and other employees working in schools, care enough to monitor children and try to keep them safe. While there are dangers in schools from some of the emplyees, this is few and far between. By far the majority of school employees are good, caring, hardworking and underpaid individuals, who care about kids. I feel much better about sending my kids to school knowing there are adults who are doing the best they can to keep my child safe. Thank you to all of you who do so. You all know who you are. By the way, school employees go through tough back ground screening to get jobs. Yes a few slip though and we need to toughen up these screenings, but overall I trust my kids at school more than over at many of their friends homes where they are around parents and other adults who have NOT been screened at all. It is very difficult to know from a few meetings or phone calls speaking with friends parents wether or not they are preditors or capable of supervising children. I think it sad it has to be so dangerous for children these days, but to ignore it, or go on a rant about a few bad apples is to disregard the issue compleatly, which is just plain wrong!

[tnb4eva]

IT IS SAD!!!

BUT...WHAT ABOUT OUR FREEDOM?

[duke12aw]

facebook.com

facebook.com its legit, not sketchy and ppl dont type LiKE ThiS ToO AnnOY YoU

[TrackStar1682]

The best way to keep security

If I were the parent of a teenager, what I'd do is instead of telling my kids that they weren't allowed on myspace, I'd keep close eyes on what they posted. I would have an account, and I would keep it updated. I would see their bulletin boards, the pointless little rantings and surveys, all of it.

Telling kids not to do something is generally counterproductive. It merely makes them want to do it more. The whole idea is that the best thing to do with things like this is, sure, let your kids on the site, but be there right next to them. Keeping up on teh times is something a lot of parents need to do, and they need to do it better than they have been.

[adarkstar]

Educate the children

I believe the function of schools should be to educate our children and not police them.The internet is the future and to ban children from the cutting edge of technology is a disservice to the community.Schools should work with children and educate them to the potential dangers they may encounter not just on Myspace but the internet in general.Children DO have rights and thier freedom of speech must be respected.School administrators should spend less time finding a kids website and punishing them for it and apply more effort to tracking down the people who stalk these sites and prey on the innocent.I may not believe a word you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

[tnb4eva]

Talk back

I tottaly agree with what you are saying. I~ as a High School student who used to have regular acsess to Myspace think that we shouldnt be banned....it should be known that there are risks and that us as students should take precatuions- but still the administrtors shouldnt prey on us...WE ARE THE VICTIMS....DOTN MAKE US THE SUPECTS

[tnb4eva]

Talk back

I tottaly agree with what you are saying. I~ as a High School student who used to have regular acsess to Myspace think that we shouldnt be banned....it should be known that there are risks and that us as students should take precatuions- but still the administrtors shouldnt prey on us...WE ARE THE VICTIMS....DOTN MAKE US THE SUSPECTS