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Teen turned off by MySpace
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Anonymous user Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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1 response 1 comment First of all, I would like to introduce myself as your normal 14-year-old, one who has recently changed many of his hobbies. I used to waste away my time chatting on AOL Instant Messenger or on MySpace. I would also spend hours daily playing on my brand new Xbox 360. Then, recently I realized, after speaking with my parents and a few of my teachers, how much those three things were ruining my academic and athletic ability. I just think that some of the stuff MySpace makes available to kids my age — and just to people in general — is wrong. I was never a good Christian, but then I started attending Bakersfield Christian High School and it changed my life. I started realizing how corrupt MySpace and similar Web sites are. They allow you to “meet your friends’ friends,” which is more like they allow you to meet complete strangers who are fake people. Now by fake, I mean they come across as someone who would be a friend of your friends when they are really sexual predators. I mean not everybody is like that, and I know this is a topic that has long been talked about, but I think that to gain access to MySpace, you should have to have some proof that you are 18. So I am with most parents on this whole issue about MySpace, and I’ve seen the issue from both sides now. My problem with Instant Messenger is it consumes so much time. I mean, it is a very practical way of talking to your friends and it is for free, but then you get chat rooms. Chat rooms are yet another place for sexual predators to find young, vulnerable children. Secondly, there are robots on Instant Messenger. I am fine with the aim bots, as they provide access to movie listings and shopping info. However, you can also create bots, which gives pornographic Web sites the opportunity to advertise, and the advertising usually goes to kids around my age. I am in complete support and I love technology and I am in the process of building my own computer. However, I think the way technology is used needs to be changed and it needs to happen fast. Now I have begun working out at Body Xchange Sports Club for a least an hour a day, and I am doing homework before anything else. By the time I finish my homework, it is usually dark, so that’s when I go to the gym. Then, when I get home, I spend my time reading news or sports articles on the Internet. The other thing I am worried about is the availability of video Web sites to younger kids, especially younger males. The main site I am concerned about a place to share your videos with friends (it’s more like people you don't know). That is just a huge concern that I have. I’m just trying to let all of you parents know that you need to talk to your kids about how they are spending their time, and if they push you away you should definitely be more concerned and push the issue harder. Thanks for your time and I hope this letter was helpful to all you parents.

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Comment From: yuniestar

I am not a parent, but I'm glad someone took the time to write this. It's nice to know that young 'uns aren't spending their hours drifting through MySpace and similiar services. Congratulations on letting your voice out.