Girls at risk on social networking sites

[Kiani]

Originally Posted by Miranda_

I'm not saying anything of the sort in my post; please don't make comments like that when you've obviously not bothered reading the entire post I made. I never said that posting your first name is dangerous; however, posting your real address, phone number etc IS. Don't bother posting unless you have something pertinent to add to this topic, rather than just insulting people's intellect by assuming things that aren't there.

Um... I was replying to the person above me who DID say that?

[Miranda_]

If you were replying to them then quote them. It's hardly rocket science.

Now, not only girls are at risk on these sites. I have a male friend who decided to meet this "16 year old guy" that he had been talking to for a while. Guess what? Turned out to be our 30+ year old history teacher. How's that for creepy to an extreme?

Ew. O_o I read in a magazine about a kid who got chatting to another 12 year old on Bebo, but his mum got suspicious cuz the other 12 year old didn't post like one; as in, using adult terms. So when he suggested a meeting, she told her son to stay behind, and she and her husband went instead. It turned out to be a 40 year old man. o.o Creeepy.

[Silent_Wolf]

Kiani, please, please stop acting as though you know all. x_x It's not hard to quote people at all, there's a button on their posts. Or use an '^' to refer to the person directly above you. Thank you!

I like Facebook a ton more; you can set your profile to strictly friends only and no one else can see it. Sure, there's networks, but you don't have to register on one; in fact, there's only one specific one you need to be approved on and that's if you say what high school/college/university you were at/are at; someone from your school has to say 'yes I went to school with this person' within a certain time or the account gets deleted. I really like Facebook though, the games are fun. ^^

[booni_monkey]

I'm not saying Facebook isn't a good place or anything by not joining it, because some of my friends have to be torn away from the computer because they're chatting on Facebook. People just have to be careful not to put up information that could attract predators. It would be just as bad as standing in the middle of time square noon-time and yelling out all of your personal information.

[Rocketship_]

My name really isn't Cricket. I have never given out any personal information, except to just a few that I have seen on webcam, or they have made a sign proving they are real. They are my close friends, as well. The only information I have really given out on TDP is my real first name [once], and the state I live in. I've never given away what town I live in, or even what area. It's alot easier than you think to track people.

I have a Facebook, but it's alot safer than you think. I have it set to private, and I only add the people I know.

However, I have a friend that I am worried about. She has a Myspace that she set to public, with all of her personal information on it. She has met boys over Myspace, and even met them in real life. I'm worried that she is going to find someone [or they find her], that isn't who they say they are. I wish she would be smarter about what she does on the internet.

[booni_monkey]

You should confront her. It is really dangerous to put up to much info, and even more to go meet every dude she's chatting with online. If talking to her doesn't work, then you should tell her parents. They should know about everything she's doing on the net, including meeting people.

[Rocketship_]

That's just it, her mother does know what she's doing. She's naive, and is even dropping her daughter off to meet these people. She has been confronted by alot people, and still has it in her head that it's okay.

[Silver_Wolf_Kitty]

Then report it to another adult, I suggest at your school. If you inform the proper authorities that she is letting her daughter run around like this, they will look into it. This is child endangerment and the authorities need to know she is doing that.

[Miranda_]

I agree with Kitty. This girl could get into serious trouble by doing this, and her mother is risking her daughter's life by letting her do it. There have been cases of girls being raped and murdered by men they met online, and the only way to safeguard this girl is to report her and her feckless mother to the police. Tell an adult, and they'll hopefully do that for you before something bad happens.

[booni_monkey]

The authorities really ought to know. There really is no say what might happen to her mom, but the police will most likely contact the site (Facebook, was it?) and deal with it there. Her account will probably be terminated.