SAINT MARY'S HIGH SCHOOL - Saint Mary's Catholic High School

JUNE 2007
The Reality of MySpace: a Socially and Spiritually
Demented World for Your Teen
Submitted By: April Yeager
On Behalf of the Spirituality Committee
About 1½ years ago, word quietly broke among some parents of a “new” world of teenage communication via the internet:
www.myspace.com. In a surprisingly timely manner, the media was also exposing the dangers of this fast growing world, one that
had taken on a life of its own.
By now, nearly every parent out there is somewhat aware of MySpace, which hosts literally millions of personal web pages that
targets teens and young adults. Still, many parents are unaware of the true dangers, both the secular and spiritual dangers that
MySpace promotes and makes available to your children.
Aside from the obvious danger that MySpace is a candy land for predators of all types, MySpace makes readily available to your child
a world that will deeply challenge the most upstanding of individuals. Choices are extreme, from searching safe group listings of
particular high schools and alumni, to sexual orientation groups, to religious and spiritual cult groups as demented as you can imagine.
Our children are merely three clicks away from viewing pornographic images, dark and obsessively evil occult images and a variety of
other items. You may say to yourself that this is readily available on the internet anyway. However, searching it out is much different
than clicking into a web page or group site by accident, on what appears to be a fun and hip place to be for your children.
If you question the severity of these claims, take into consideration the fact that Janet Napolitano just passed a law requiring sex
offenders to register as just that, before surfing the images of MySpace and the individuals they seek to contact. While this is an
admirable action, the true message may be that the severity of the freedom allowed on this site is no nonchalant or laughing matter.
And yes, murders have occurred directly linked to relationships developed on MySpace.
With regards to allowing oneself to be placed into the near occasion of sin, MySpace could be considered the top example for teens in
this era. The overall environment calls upon the teens to get as outrageous as they can, with their language and most especially with
their photos. Web pages are accessed through a thumbnail photo placed by the teen, usually one that best represents who they are.
Many girls and guys alike appear to be presenting themselves in a centerfold-like manner, girly magazine wanabees, with crude
positioning of hands and tongues. Poems and humorous analogies are passed from one “friend” to another, with continuous sexual
overtones. The best description of at least 80% of what you see on MySpace: crude, rude and lewd. And even if your teen has listed
Jesus Christ as his hero in his profile, you can be assured that he’s reading inappropriate conversations everyday that he visits
MySpace.
Last year, St. Mary’s presented a speaker on the dangers of MySpace. His advice, don’t let your teen on the site AT ALL. A
representative from the Attorney General’s office who has spoken at various other schools in the Valley gave the same advice. This
form of communication between tweens and teens is simply not worth the dangers attached.
From a Catholic and moral perspective, MySpace is a sure way to allow your child to be surrounded by the near occasion of sin, and
have the ability to lead a double life. Today they may be a budding star student ready to embark upon the world, unfortunately and
perhaps well-equipped with the demented knowledge of our darkest sides.
If you haven’t checked out MySpace, simply register with a free yahoo address, and an obscure name and surf around a bit. After you
are done there, check out the latest craze, www.facebook.com. This newest site is at least more security-conscious, and if you
discover unknowingly your child’s page, you won’t be able to access it without his or her permission. A moral dilemma for another
day…
For more information and articles about this topic and Internet Safety for Families, please visit the following:
Dateline April 2006: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15162866/ and http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12210237/ and
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12192496/
Arizona Republic: http://www.azcentral.com/families/articles/0707fam_teenblogs.html
Focus on the Family: http://www.pluggedinonline.com/thisweekonly/a0002616.cfm
Other websites:
www.Getnetwise.com
FBI parents guide: www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm
Wiredsafety.org
SafeTeens.com