Welcome to Gravy Safety
Having personal profiles at websites like MySpace, Xanga or Friendster is fun. There's nothing better than expressing yourself, connecting with old friends and making new friends in the process, from all over the world.
At SpaceGravy, we are well aware that MySpace is a place for friends. Unfortunately, however, we also know that not everyone on the Internet today has friendly intentions. In fact, Internet predators are a very real threat. That's why we feel it's so important to educate parents, teens, even adults, about what to do ' and what NOT to do ' when it comes to creating a MySpace profile (or profiles at other social networking sites like MySpace). We've compiled a list of important safety tips to help people of all ages have fun creating profiles at MySpace while preventing a potentially harmful situation in the process.
Tip #1: Keep your Personal Information Personal
Tip #3: Don't Believe Everything you Read
Tip #5: When the Cat's Away'Don't Let the Mice Play
Tip #7: Beware of ' Phishing for Information'
Tip #8: When in Doubt, Keep it Private
Tip #9: There's a Time and a Place'For Your Computer
Tip #1: Keep your Personal Information Personal
First thing's first. When it comes to having a profile at MySpace, Xanga, Friendster or other social networking sites, it's extremely important not to post too much personal information. Things like street addresses, phone numbers, first and last names, school names and locations, Instant Message addresses, major landmarks (and your vicinity to those) and other identifying personal information are off limits and should never be included in your profile. Another less obvious tip, especially for teens, is to never post pictures of yourself standing in front of an identifying landmark, such as a school sign or place of employment. Additionally, be careful not to post pictures of yourself wearing clothing with your school name or other identifiable information (such as your city name). There are over 100,000,000 registered MySpace users and about 50,000,000 'active' members (and this doesn't include the millions of registered users at other similar sites), so keep in mind the sheer size of this community and why it's so important to keep your personal information private.
Tip #2: Think Before you Post
No doubt it's fun to post photos of yourself and your friends (as well as information about yourself) at MySpace. That's the fundamental way members of sites like MySpace connect with each other on a daily basis. But keep in mind the fact that, in addition to you and your friends, other people may have the opportunity to see your profile too. And also keep in mind the fact that there are millions of MySpace users (and tens of millions of users at other social networking sites like MySpace) and sometimes, those users may not have the best intentions. Not only is it unsafe to post photos of yourself or your friends in compromising situations, it can be detrimental to you in the long run. Today, many employers look at MySpace profiles to determine if a job candidate is someone they'd actually want to hire or have working at their organization. A good rule of thumb is this ' if you'd be embarrassed to have your parents, your loved ones, or a potential employer see your photos or the information posted at your profile, chances are you shouldn't post that information in the first place.
Tip #3: Don't Believe Everything you Read
Just because someone says they're a certain age or living in a certain area doesn't necessarily mean that's the truth. And just because their profile has friendly pictures (with lots of friends in their list) doesn't necessarily mean that person should be added to YOUR friends list. In fact, we advise against adding anyone to your friends list you're unfamiliar with. Don't be afraid to reject a friend request if you don't know who it is. It's not worth adding a stranger to your friends list just to have more friends ON you're your list. Beware of who you add or who you choose to communicate with at MySpace and other similar sites.
Tip #4: Take a Buddy with You
MySpace is all about meeting new people online. Many times, however, people choose to meet new MySpace friends outside the Internet, in person. We strongly urge teens to avoid meeting anyone in person whom they've met online. In our opinion, it's better to be safe than sorry. And if you're an adult setting up a personal meeting with someone you've met at MySpace, be sure to always take someone with you and always meet in a public place. If you must go alone, be sure to let a friend or family know where you're going and how long you plan to be gone.
Tip #5: When the Cat's Away...Don't Let the Mice Play
MySpace has a policy whereby nobody under the age of 14 may have a profile. However, this isn't always the case. There are ways underage children can and do have profiles at sites like MySpace. As a result, we urge parents of children under the age of 14 to get involved ' to find out if in fact their child has a MySpace profile and to take the necessary steps to have that profile removed from MySpace by contacting MySpace customer service. And we urge parents of kids over the age of 14 to find out if their child has a MySpace profile and to monitor that profile to review the types of photos and information that's posted. The best gift we can give our children is the gift of active parenting ' to get involved with what our kids are doing online and to take an active role in the relationships they're creating as well as the overall message they're sending to the outside world.
Tip #6: Don't be a Bully
There's a new trend (albeit a bad one) at MySpace and other social networking sites these days and it's called 'Cyber Bullying.' These days, it seems teens ' and even adults ' are engaging in online bullying tactics by posting rude or scathing remarks about another member, creating offensive profiles about other people (with or without their knowledge), or sending teasing, harassing, unpleasant or annoying emails or instant messages. Bullying is not new, but Cyber Bullying is, and its effects can be wide reaching and debilitating. We advise teens to tell their parents immediately if someone is bullying them online because there are practical steps parents can implement to put a stop to it at its source. An excellent resource we've found on this subject is at a website called BeSafeOnline.org (http://www.besafeonline.org/), where advice is given to parents of teens who have been victims of Cyber Bullying. We urge parents and adults alike to take the subject of Cyber Bullying seriously and, in certain instances, to report that abuse to MySpace, Frienster, Xanga, or the operators of similar networking sites, and in cases where bullies may have broken the law with their tactics, to notify the proper authorities to stop the abuse.
Tip #7: Beware of 'Phishing for Information'
An online scam exists and it's called 'Phishing.' In some instances, fraudsters will trick someone into giving them confidential information or trick them into doing something they normally wouldn't do by acting as a legitimate website or business. In most cases, the 'phishers' are trying to access personal information to use that information for identity theft. We found an extremely informative website, http://www.onguardonline.gov/phishing.html that discusses the subject of Phishing in-depth. There are a number of steps this website offers to help people avoid becoming a victim of Phishing.
Tip #8: When in Doubt, Keep it Private
MySpace offers users the ability to make their profiles private, where only their friends have the opportunity to see their page. If you're a parent of a teen who has a MySpace profile and you're interested in protecting their privacy as much as possible, this option might be a smart approach. However, keep in mind this is a not a foolproof method to keeping your kids safe since THEY have the option of adding people to their list of friends who can ultimately see their profiles (and in some cases, they just might add strangers to that list). Additionally, sometimes the reason kids make their profiles private in the first place is because they don't want their PARENTS to see the information and photos they've posted there. A way around this is to install monitoring software to monitor exactly what your kids are seeing and doing online. Above all, be sure to talk to your kids. Tell them how important it is to keep their profiles private ' not from the perspective that it prevents you, the parent, from seeing their profile, but more importantly because it prevents STRANGERS from seeing their profile. If all else fails, make sure they know the dangers involved with adding strangers to their friends list or communicating with strangers in the first place.
Tip #9: There's a Time and a Place...for your Computer
These days, many child safety experts are advising parents to keep their computer systems in a centralized location in their homes, one in plain site of adults. Sometimes kids have a false sense of security and anonymity when it comes to the Internet, so it's important to monitor the content of their profiles, the websites they're visiting, memberships to websites, the discussions they're having online, the content of their profiles and other general online activities. Experts warn that if a computer is located in a more private place, such as a child's bedroom, there's more of an opportunity for kids to engage in online activities or discussions that parents might not approve of. Similar advice also suggests parents limit the amount of time their children spend online or limit their online activities until a parent or adult is home and supervising. It would make sense, then, that keeping a computer in a centralized location ' one that's in plain site ' will help parents stay in touch with the amount of time their children spend online as well as what their kids are doing WHILE they're online.
Tip #10: Education is Power
When it comes to social networking sites like MySpace, Friendster, Xanga and more, education is power. Get familiar with these sites and learn all you can about them. If you have children, don't be afraid to sit them down and ask them pointed questions about whether or not they have profiles and, if so, exactly what is ON those profiles. And be sure to research as much outside information as you can, including recent news stories pertaining to the subject of MySpace, as well as child safety websites, newsletters and blogs.
