The Dangers of Social Networking
The Dangers of Social Networking
The Dangers of Social Networking
Keeping kids safe on social networking sites
Social networking is all the rage these days. Sites like Facebook and Myspace are changing the fundamental architecture of the Internet and are providing a single hub where people can integrate all of their information into one location, such as photo-sharing, blogs, IM, video-sharing, marketplace listings, etc.
This type of networking can be very enjoyable and beneficial, allowing people to reconnect with old friends, share experiences from remote locations, as well as branch out in school or the workplace.
However these networking sites do not come without risk. And although adults are not immune to risk, the dangers are far greater for children, especially for those under 16 years of age. Social networking sites have become a haven for sexual predators because it allows them to lurk through the wormholes of cyber-space anonymously and peruse the profiles of potential victims.
As of right now Myspace.com has over 109 million registered accounts while Facebook.com has an ever-growing 69 million. In July, Myspace announced that it had removed around 29,000 American sex offenders from its network after being pressured by US state governments.
Just recently as well, Facebook has acknowledged the dangers that exist on its network and has agreed to buckle down on sexual predators by changing the way that it handles complaints on issues of sexual harassment and inappropriate content.
Facebook will now introduce a much faster process for dealing with complaints about unwanted approaches by strangers, nudity, pornography and harassment. New members will also be warned about the dangers to look out for before they sign up for an account.
Facebook acknowledged the issue after New York attorney general, Andrew Cuomo, conducted an investigation on the network after receiving complaints about inappropriate content on the website.
"Social networking sites, popular among young people, have quickly gained members and appeal, but also act as a magnet for those who would prey on the young," Mr. Cuomo said.
With the new agreement, Facebook will respond to complaints on pornography and harassment within 24 hours and reply to the complainant describing the measures that have been taken, within 72 hours.
The New York attorney general also said that efforts have been stepped up to introduce an age-verification tool that would be used by all social networking sites.
Myspace.com requires account holders to be 14 years of age, while automatically restricting 14 and 15 year olds' accounts to the highest privacy setting, while ages 16 and up can set their own privacy settings. As well, the network does not allow users over 18 years old to add users under 16 unless they know their full-name and email address.
This is not to say though that people can not lie about their age. That is why it is important for an age-verification system to be implemented, but until then, parents and children need to educate themselves.
The best option is to not allow your kids to go onto these sites if they are under 16 years old. It needs to be understood that once something has been posted on the Internet it is there for good. It is easy for sensitive information to fall into the wrong hands on social networking sites, therefore it is crucial not to be posting information such as school, phone number, address, age, and even last name.
"With these networking sites typically, you're exposing everything," says Signy Arnason, director of Cybertip.ca. "What's not resonating with children is that the Internet is a public space. You'd equate it to your child going with a photo album into Safeway and allowing people who pass by to view it. You're doing the same thing placing all this information on the Internet."
Facebook warns users that, "unless you're prepared to attach something in your profile to a resume or scholarship application, don't post it."
If you insist on letting your kids use networking sites, make sure that privacy settings are set to the highest level. Be sure that your kids' profiles are set to "private", which allows only friends on their conta
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