MySpace As Constructive Force

Quote of the day:
“In case you’re worried about what’s going to become of the younger generation, it’s going to grow up and start worrying about the younger generation.”
--Roger Allen

Quote of the day no. 2:
“Teens are not just willy-nilly using social networking sites and making themselves vulnerable to predators.”
--Steve Jones, communications professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

MySpace is a sinister threat. That has become a mantra for many, especially parents who are terrified of predators lurking in cyberspace, and who imagine that their teen is spending hours every day online with strangers. It turns out that “sinister threat” may be a bit of an exaggeration.

First, according to a new survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 45% of teens do not use social-networking sites, and 10% use them once every few weeks or less. Only 25% of teens are using the internet for social-networking every day. This is a significant
and huge number, but it is very far from “all” or “most.”

Indeed, there are reasons for teens to be careful when using MySpace. But it and other social-networking sites serve a valuable purpose, perhaps especially for those who use it a lot. Amanda Sanchez, a San Dimas 17-year-old, says, “Over the summer, MySpace was my best friend. I didn’t know anybody after I moved, so I was on there all the time.”

And teens seem to understand the need to be wary. Two-thirds of those who created MySpace profiles chose to keep them private--available only to friends.