Many of you may have heard of myspace.com website. I recently read and heard two warnings about this place. My son goes there and I often check and it seemed all ok. Then today, God told me to check again.

This website is dangerous for our teenagers. On a programme on tv they were warning how sexual predators go there to prey on vulnerable teens. male and female.
I was shocked how my son was able to access some pornography, pretty explicit stuff. There were adds for alcohol aswell. And he was receiving pictures and messages over 18 and 21 year olds. My kid is only 14.

I just thought I'd let you guys know just in case your kid has a myspace and just check things out.

I had prayer for husband and myself asking for guidance and wisdom in this matter in how to discuss this and discipline our son.
I would like more prayer for this.
thanks calluna

I have some additional info to share on this subject calluna...

A Window into the "MySpace" Generation-PART I:
The "MySpace" epidemic might just be the new hub of youth culture; should we glean from it... or object to it?
By Jonathan McKee
2/14/2006


A decade ago I would have told you that if you wanted to get to know a kid, "Go look at his/her bedroom." Now I'd tell you to look at their MySpace page. MySpace.com is a porthole into the world of today's teenager and tween. Should we look into this porthole... or swim away?

People, churched and unchurched, are already casting their votes. If you've glanced at the TV or the newspaper lately, you've been hearing all the hype about MySpace.com:

"It's a petting zoo for pedophiles!"

"Kids post graphic pictures of themselves and reveal too much personal information."

"Criminals use the site to set up drug deals or sell illegal merchandise."

"Schools are blocking MySpace.com on school computers!"

In the youth ministry world we're beginning to hear even more generalizations.

"Christian parents are allowing waste to be pumped into their kids' heads through their broadband lines!"

"The profiles are filled with racy pictures, profanity and ignorance-no Christian belongs on Myspace.com!"

But not everyone is throwing the baby out with the bath water. Some youth ministries are making use of the site. They figure, "Most of our kids are riding this boat, let's grab a paddle!" They use MySpace for communication and even publicity for their programs or events.

Some Christian kids are oblivious to the dangers of the site. Others are claiming that the site is okay if you're careful. Experts are beginning to outline safeguards that parents can implement.

Are the "experts" right? Can a kid be on MySpace and keep their innocence? Or are these "safeguards" another instance of parents throwing up their hands and giving up? Are MySpace safety efforts just the proverbial "condom" for today's kids using the popular site?

...continuation and Part 2 of this message:

http://www.thesource4ym.com/archives...214.asp#TITLE1


Jonathan McKee is president of The Source for Youth Ministry and author of the new book "Do They Run When They See You Coming? Reaching Out to Unchurched Teenagers." This book helps us better understand youth culture today and equips us to reach out to an unchurched generation. Jonathan studies youth culture and trends, speaking and training across the country and providing free online resources, training, & ideas for youth workers at www.TheSource4YM.com

Hey you guys! Long time! I just wanted to add my recent experience with this MySpace joint. I have a niece who just turned 18 last month. My husband sent me an MSNBC.com news article about this site called "MySpace Invader" also discussing the dangers of this site because it is the perfect place for lurking sex offenders.

Out of curiosity, I decided to check this site out and see if our 16 yr. old son or any of his friends might be using it. I did a search and didn't find our son or any of his friends. Instead I found my 18 yr. old niece and MANY of her friends. What's worse is she had a public profile with some sort of survey with numerous questions which she had answered very honestly giving not only her age, place of birth and an exact physical description, but also where she is currently living...OY!!! I felt so sick to my stomach knowing that ANYONE had access to her personal information.

What was worse was that she had some foul song loaded and playing on her myspace page and had admitted openely that she drinks and had gotten drunk before THEN had the audacity to say that "Jesus is my hero." UGH!!!

I got an account with this stinkin' site so that I could email her directly. I let her know that I was concerned for her physical and spiritual safety. After I sent her this very lengthy email, I checked the next morning and she had changed her song choice and deleted the survey with all of her personal info.
Unfortunately, she'd had her myspace since July 2005 so no telling how many sex offenders have her information already. She also had 153 friends listed, of whom she probably knew only 20 or so personally!

After praying about it and discussing it with my husband, I called my oldest sister, who is her mom, and asked her to please come over to my house so I could show her something.

She and her husband both came. They couldn't believe what they were reading or the pictures their daughter had posted of not only herself but of her little sister and brother too. Her mom and dad were devastated but glad to know about it they said. My niece has since had to terminate her membership with this site.

I think this is a horrific site and does make pre-teens and teens vunerable to the worst type of predators out there. I'm glad to know there are other Christians out there continuing to lift up the youth of the world! It's needed more than ever.

I am in agreement with what a good friend and Sister in Christ wrote to me regarding this situation. She said, "I totally believe that the Lord is about to do something big with our young people and that the enemy will try anything to keep them out of the will of God. Praise God that He is the Almighty and the enemy is subject to His authority!" Praise God indeed! AMEN!

Take encouragement in that, Sister Calluna! I'll be praying for you guys concerning your son and would ask that you do the same for my niece and her family! Thanks!

God bless you guys!

Hello everyone! I know this is a response to an old thread but I am a new member so I was just skimming through and saw it. What was mentioned is true. Two of my children have My Space but is stay close when they are on an monitor everything. What get's me is the content the children that aren't monitored put on their profile and send to others. It's a shame more parents don't care. Anyway- with this in mind I feel I have been given a mission and set up a My Space for myself and am going to use it spread the Truth and the Word and about Our Savior Jesus Christ. I am still working on getting it all set up but I pray it does well.

As far as myspace goes, I used to have an account on there and have friends who are Christians that have myspace accounts and know that there are genuine people who do try and share the gospel with people.

Personally however, I have cancelled my account due to a concern at the content on there and see it is something that can be used for good or evil. Yes there are dangers and concerns about it but at the same time any "friends" on there you can approve before adding them. I do pray for people that go there as it is open to abuse as others have mentioned.

What concerns me also is that it is possible for bulletins to be sent in someone's name by hackers and this happened to a Christian friend of mine with a person using their account saying some things that she would never have said and the danger is that bulletins and surveys from people you dont know can be issued. She had to post an apology bulletin to all those who had seen what was written.

Having said that, it has a wonderful potential as a concept and it's a pity that there isn't a Christian version of a myspace.

Finally, if we object to it we should show action by complaining about it or praying for the site and the users that go there as it is not the sort of thing we as a church can ignore.

God bless

:omg:

I got a my space account and I'm 29 yrs old and my sister and some other family members of mine are on there but we're all over the age of 18.
I have alot of christian friends on there as well as non christains.my profile has alot of christain pics. and banners againest child abuse and so on.
i even post verses on there. I think it's a good why to share about Jesus.
and lead people to christ.
kids are going to do what there going to do. I mean if there doing this on the internet there doing it when your not around off the computer..there's sick crazy people everywhere there at the mall i mean if people really want to find you they will ,even if you tell them where you live or not. there's so many websites out there where you can look someone up. there's porn every where it's not just myspace you can look it up on the net you can go to a gas station and it's right there for the world to see.if your going to **** about one thing you might as well go as far as movies and store that sell this stuff. video games are pretty nasty too Ive seen some that show alot of stuff even sex. on a game for kids ok.
well I end this take every one if you wanna look me up on myspace go right ahead.... peace be with ya'll oh by the way they will let you can report the pics on there so if every one reported these pics maybe they will take them off

God bless

Myspace does not support pornography like some one has previously mentioned. And if you want to be carefull with it then there is an option to make your son and daugters profile private so only friends may view it. This world is filled with sin and disgust. I believe best way to live is to see the right and wrong and know which is right. But it is good to be carefull on that site because there are many sick people out there that are looking for young kids. Hope this info has helped.

In my opinion, the entire internet is a disaster.

The only thing it should be used for, and this goes for Myspace too, is to inform about and help people grow in the love Christ.

Of course, some might object to my opinion :P

But really, myspace has potential for good, but that good will be wasted for the majority of its existence.

God Bless.

you can not say the entire internet is a disaster.
because you can use it for good like some one already said in here.
you might as well say the world is a disaster because every where you go now. like I said before in stores, gas stations, bill boards. it all has slutting pics of poeple. before there was internet ( there were crazy poeple trying to pick up children. porn was way back then too. and all of that was way before the internet came around.

On the contrary, I can and do say it is a disaster.

After all, it is just an opinion, but it's not one without any basis.

Sure the net has potential for good, which I infered when I said myspace had potential for good, but it is certainly used for many evil purposes, whether it be life-consuming videogames, easy access porn and gambling, or whatever else goes on in it.

The internet is convinient for our lifestyle, and while it is defintely great that Christians are actively sharing our faith on the internet, I reckon that the damage the internet causes is significant enough to warrant my opinion.

And since you mention it, yes, I do think the world is a disaster. And the bible tells us it is going to get worse before Christ comes again. But I'm looking forward to the day it is no longer a disaster. That's not to say that I dislike the world or anything, and in no way infers that there is no good in the world or that the good there is is wasted, I'm just recognising that it's having a few minor issues here and there. ;)

God Bless.