The Internet as Matchmaker: Social Networking and Interactive Communication on the Web

The Internet is a great tool for accessing information, communicating with others and sharing ideas. While these and other applications make the Internet a valuable asset, it can also be misused in various ways.

One of the most concerning ways the Internet is misused is the use of social networking sites by adults (and other youth) to prey on unsuspecting teens and children.

Many young people are very familiar with social networking sites like MySpace, Friendster, Facebook and others and may have a profile under their own name or under a made-up name to go undetected by a parent who might go to the site and search for their child’s profile.

From a teen’s perspective, many just want to meet friends online, talk to new people and post information about themselves to keep friends who may go to another school or moved out of state up-to-date about their lives. The social networking sites provide them with a fun and interactive way to bond with others and give them a sense of privacy.

Unfortunately, many young people post too much personal information about themselves on their profiles such as their home address, school they attend, phone numbers, email address or instant message name, and other details about their lives. Many teens do this innocently in an attempt to get connected with other teens.

However, many young users don’t recognize the danger that not everyone online is who they say they are. What they see as a 15-year-old female ninth grader who likes volleyball and movies may really be a 50-year-old man who is looking for his next young victim.

With this in mind, parents need to be particularly vigilant about what, if any, social networking sites their children visit and how much information they share online. If you haven’t talked to your children about online safety, it’s important to do so. It’s also important to tell them what to do in the event that someone sends them an inappropriate email or contacts them in another way that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Remind young people that it’s not appropriate to post things like their home or cell phone number, home address, work address, full name, or other personally identifiable information. It’s also important to monitor the photos that your child posts online to ensure that they are not overly personal or provocative and online journaling activities should not reveal overly-personal information.

See MediaFamily for some Internet Safety tips.