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MySpace, Your Space Whose Space Is It, Anyway?
Experts Teach Parents How to Take Back Control
The Hatches teach parents the following: Get the passwords, read the e-mails, study the sites they visit, look at other kids' Web sites and postings, learn how to read a browser history, learn how to look at what your kids' have bookmarked as "favorites" and study the Internet cache to find where your kids are going.
You can learn a lot if you Google your kids' names. It could be a real education for you. Just put your kids' names in at Google and Blog Search engines and find out what other kids are saying about your kids!
The Hatches say parents can take back control, and they share simple and effective things parents can do that can yield immediate, positive results:
- Become a safety sleuth. Take a few minutes to check out MySpace and some of the other popular sites yourself. While children and teens argue that these community chat sites are "safe," you may be surprised at what is readily available and observable.
- Join them. Listen and become involved with your children. Sit down and watch their favorite television show with them, then, without judging, ask them what they like or how they feel about the show.
- Change location. Move computers and televisions out of children's rooms and into a more central location in your home, where you can monitor the time they spend online as well as the sites they are viewing.
- Give them alternatives to boredom. Children turn to the Internet or other media out of sheer boredom or a need for a connection. Give them positive outlets and family-centered alternatives.