Myspace - The new online killer?

[James]

After losing a close friend due to online bullying on the social networking site, MySpace.com. I begun looking into things that have happened on the website and wanted to see anything serious had ever happened from myspace and the use of it.

I know many people on NamePros are parents or young people who may be into myspace. I never heard about any of this before I started to look into this, What I found was shocking. I worry for my friends and my namepros friends, knowing that this is getting common and isn't properly prosecuted or shown by the media enough.

Kids should be safe and you as parents/peers should look out for each other and be aware of such horrific things. I hope everyone reads over this, can understand my point of view and try to protect their children, peers or somebody else's child.

Full Story - Click Here

Lets help spread the word and keep people say, nobody deserves to lose a child over cyberbullying or abuse. theirs help out there and people just need to know where to go for it or something has to be introduced to look after kids.

Here's afew resourceful links.
ReachOut Australia
Boystown - 24/7 crisis Phone line
Childline

Looking for your opinions an insight. :]

 

[.X.]

I think MySpace turned into a bad thing for every one, about a year or more ago. I don't blame the owners of MySpace for it. It developed and grew so quickly, I don't think they could control all of the craziness going on.

I would never let my child have a MySpace page. It is to brutal there.

To hear that you lost a friend, because of the craziness, Is truly sad.

 

[weblord]

sorry to know this as well but myspace is like a community like anyone else but the problem, is management has gone lax on it.

 

[Shane]

This is truly awful! I knew there had to be a reason why I would never sign up to MySpace.

 

[mwzd]

Real sorry about your loss... online relations do bring problems.

Very well written article though.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Michelle]

HUGS really sorry James

I dont have a myspace page and neither does my daughter

 

[Keral_Patel]

Its about time we teach our children to just spit on the bullies.

Children might need moral support from parents. Its not the parents fault though. I know how my dad was busy in his job. But well teach them how to live it out. It is going to be a lot worse I think.

 

[mathiasc]

My condolences to you James.

I think they should have some kind of control on MySpace to prevent such online bullying from happening. Many people are potentially murdering someone for any comment that they make about them. I never use MySpace and neither will I nor my offsprings.

Once again, I'm sorry for your great loss James.

 

[James]

I'm happy to see that parents are stopping their kids from being on myspace, I Don't use myspace.

I hope parents can see this is a serious issue and their kids need to be watched, the internet is a deadly place and can cause some serious issues.

My prayers go out to anyone who's ever been bullied or suffered depression, help is available.

 

[squid]

I think the whole boycott myspace is ridiculous. I can understand people get upset over the loss of somebody they love, but you can't blame myspace. Myspace was what was used, sure, but it was the callous actions of an individual not connected to myspace in anyway that caused these problems.

If somebody gets run over you don't blame the car manufacturers and have all cars banned, if somebody dies after putting a plastic bag over their head you don't ban plastic bags.

This is entirely down to the negligence and pure idiocy of the perpetrators, you can't in anyway blame myspace.

 

[James]

I think the whole boycott myspace is ridiculous. I can understand people get upset over the loss of somebody they love, but you can't blame myspace. Myspace was what was used, sure, but it was the callous actions of an individual not connected to myspace in anyway that caused these problems.

Nobody said anything about boycotting myspace, the people in this thread are doing it out of trying to keep their kids safe from pedophiles or being bullied online. Ofcourse you can blame myspace, they may have a big user base but they should know that this world does have sick people in it and they could offer solutions, Comments filtered, parents view the comments and approve first. They actually require in the TOS that all profiles be set to private if under 13, she was 16. What is she doing trying to talk to people she doesn't even know, Parents should especially filter that.

If somebody gets run over you don't blame the car manufacturers and have all cars banned, if somebody dies after putting a plastic bag over their head you don't ban plastic bags.

This is entirely down to the negligence and pure idiocy of the perpetrators, you can't in anyway blame myspace.

The lady wasn't even charged for pushing this girl to suicide, would the driver be charged for murder if they hit the person who gets ran over?...

Nobody is trying to say boycott or ban myspace, they need to offer better solutions to keep everyone safe, nobody deserves to be unsafe and bullied.

 

[-Alex-]

Here is the other side of the story...

I happen to have a myspace, it isn't a big part of my life... but nearly my whole school is gathered there and it's quite fun—being able to chat with friends, share music, movies, etc...

I know that my profile, as well as all my friends' are all set to private, meaning nobody can view them unless they are added as a friend. I don't believe myspace can be blamed for the bullying events that have happened. Myspace has plenty of features to help prevent that. For examble... the age restriction... profile restriction... another restriction were you need to know their last name in order to add them as a friend, report user abuse at the touch of a button, etc.... I think they have offered a ton, if not all, possible solutions for the community to be safe.

Myspace sounds as if it were some death community with no safety standards, etc... but as somebody who is part of it—i disagree...


Another viewpoint to be thought of...

-Alex-

 

[mathiasc]

The whole MySpace hoo-haa has aroused a certain level of concern by the public. Because teenagers are committing suicide over certain immature comments, I think MySpace should set a certain level of filter just like what James said. I think parents should take the initiative and educate their children about such act of immaturity.

Children are innocent and they can easily be upset over a harmful sentence. It is therefore advised to keep children well educated about what is going on before they meet with such situations. If parents counsel them after something happens, it might be too late. As the saying goes, "prevention is better than cure"; and i agree with this saying to the fullest extent.

 

[James]

Here is the other side of the story...

I happen to have a myspace, it isn't a big part of my life... but nearly my whole school is gathered there and it's quite fun—being able to chat with friends, share music, movies, etc...

I know that my profile, as well as all my friends' are all set to private, meaning nobody can view them unless they are added as a friend. I don't believe myspace can be blamed for the bullying events that have happened. Myspace has plenty of features to help prevent that. For examble... the age restriction... profile restriction... another restriction were you need to know their last name in order to add them as a friend, report user abuse at the touch of a button, etc.... I think they have offered a ton, if not all, possible solutions for the community to be safe.

Myspace sounds as if it were some death community with no safety standards, etc... but as somebody who is part of it—i disagree...


Another viewpoint to be thought of...

-Alex-

Kids don't use it though... I've seen my sisters myspace and her age is set to 16... yet she's 13... - I know its hard to protect against but as mathiasc has said, Parents need to educate their kids about the risks and why they need to be honest for this to protect them.

 

[-Alex-]

Kids don't use it though... I've seen my sisters myspace and her age is set to 16... yet she's 13... - I know its hard to protect against but as mathiasc has said, Parents need to educate their kids about the risks and why they need to be honest for this to protect them.

My point is, I don't think there is anything else myspace could do other than shut down...

Because it can't be blamed on myspace if girls/guys are signing up as people who are older, and have their profile pages open to everybody.

Like I've said, myspace has many security setting in play, just kids are ignoring them.

 

[Ross]

Honestly, all you need these days is someones name or better yet an email address and you can find EVERYTHING about them.

My Dad had some problems with this guy one time so the guy started some research. The guy found my fathers myspace page and pretty much found out what he did, where he lived, who he was dating, who me and my brothers are, where we live, who we were dating, basically my whole family, his friends, and worst of it all the guy did all of this within 2 clicks.

As soon as my dad had found out this guy was basically finding out everything about him he took down his myspace profile and suggested we take them off or set them to private.

Ohh ya did i mention the guy could get any picture he wanted?

Honestly i think myspace and all these other sites like it have just gotten out of hand. There is no verification behind any of it. So a 16 yr old boy could actually be a 46 yr man.

Creepy!

Im sorry for the loss James.

 

[viciouscircle]

 

[dgridley]

It doesn't matter if it's MySpace or not IMO.. these kinds of things will happen no matter where. Meanwhile, it's a tragic thing when this occurs.

 

[squid]

Honestly, all you need these days is someones name or better yet an email address and you can find EVERYTHING about them.

My Dad had some problems with this guy one time so the guy started some research. The guy found my fathers myspace page and pretty much found out what he did, where he lived, who he was dating, who me and my brothers are, where we live, who we were dating, basically my whole family, his friends, and worst of it all the guy did all of this within 2 clicks.

As soon as my dad had found out this guy was basically finding out everything about him he took down his myspace profile and suggested we take them off or set them to private.

Ohh ya did i mention the guy could get any picture he wanted?

Honestly i think myspace and all these other sites like it have just gotten out of hand. There is no verification behind any of it. So a 16 yr old boy could actually be a 46 yr man.

Creepy!

Im sorry for the loss James.

Common sense.
What i list online, I don't mind about people knowing.
If i was all, "I don't want people knowing what i look like" then I'd never post a picture of myself.

I understand what people are saying, but saying that myspace should have more preventative measures is moronic, the site is too secure now.

If a teen girl is going to lie about her age, then she has caused any problems that happen herself. If she was honest about her age, he profile would be protected and nobody could see it, only the people she trusted.

It's peoples blatant negligence that cause problems online.

 

[Ross]

Common sense.
What i list online, I don't mind about people knowing.
If i was all, "I don't want people knowing what i look like" then I'd never post a picture of myself.

I understand what people are saying, but saying that myspace should have more preventative measures is moronic, the site is too secure now.

If a teen girl is going to lie about her age, then she has caused any problems that happen herself. If she was honest about her age, he profile would be protected and nobody could see it, only the people she trusted.

It's peoples blatant negligence that cause problems online.

Secure!? Thats like saying paypal has no charge backs.

You have heard of those online dating services im sure. You have also prolly heard of people getting rejected or something similar on those services. Well that is because they have security measures in place that send up red flags when a person applies. Sex offenders and such are NOT allowed on such sites.

If you look at myspace, ANYONE can create a profile with ANYTHING on it. This allows it to be a haven for sexual preditors and bullies to run rampid.

Im sure that teen girl was to asinine to think before she put that picture of her in that bikini up in hopes that johnny from school will see it. Only to find out that a 46 yr old man messages her telling her that he is 17 and lives just around the block.

You have to take in the account that kids do not think like adults. They want things without reason and dont think of the consiquences before doing what they are doing. This results in people getting hurt, tramatized, or even death. Measures need to be taken on myspace and other "freak" havens.