Tween Girls Speak Up about MySpace

Last week, MySpace deleted 29,000 convicted sex offenders.
This week, tween girls ages 10-15 tell us why and how. First, results from a poll dated Sunday, July 29:


Now, what AllyKatzz tween girls are SAYING about MySpace:

First, the standard work around the 14+ age requirement... straight from a 12-year-old tween girl: "Yeah, you have to get yor parents permission. But if you mke a new acount and put ur birthday as your older then 13 then you dont need to send in ur parents permission"

"I am on myspace. I'm only 11 but i'm super careful and i only talk to people i know."

Even without sex offenders, it's high drama. For many girls, this is a bigger problem than keeping predators away: "I don't want 1 and I don't hav 1! I HATE myspace! It causes SOOO many problems in jr. high and high skool becuz of all the drama!" (age 12)

"You guys, Myspace IS a safe site, it's about the people not the site. As long as you stay on private and only accept and talk to people you know, it's safe. Although, right now there are a lot of problems, so I might delete mine." (age 12)

Lots of girls said "My mom won't let me!" But not many girls said, "My dad won't let me!" Hmmmm. That's another subject for a different blog. The differnt roles that moms and dads have.

And this from a true AllyKatzz fan: "NO way! Too dangerous! Besides I'm sticking with allykatzz!!! I don't like myspace... and I'm almost 13"

What can YOU do to help keep your tween girl safe? Don't put your head in the sand. Talk to your daughter about what she likes or doesn't like about MySpace. What's the attraction? Making new friends? Peer pressure from school friends? How can she get the same results in a safer way? Forbidding her to have a MySpace page won't work. And forget the "put the computer in the living room" theory that is based on a crazy assumption that the only place our tween girls have internet access is where the home computer is. That's crazy.

Posted by Denise Restauri