Should MySpace be responsible for your child's safety? In an article called "Who's the Parent Here?" on dallasnews.com, an editorial tells parents that they need to be the ones supervising their children. There are four families who have filed lawsuits against MySpace for having "waited entirely too long to attempt to institute meaningful security measures that effectively increase the safety of their underage users."
Being a parent is not easy. The internet is a dangerous place, and children do not always make wise decisions. I have had parents tell me that they trust their kids and that their kids would never lie. I always found this hard to believe, since my own kids could spin a good one on occasion to get what they wanted. However, it really isn't a matter of trust. All children need to be supervised on the internet. Parents owe it to themselves and their children to learn as much as they can about social networking sites. Internet classes for parents should be available in all school districts.
The editorial has a list of MySpace Dos and Don'ts that are worth reading and sharing with children. Parents can't afford to look the other way on this one.