Safe clicks!

Maybe it's the mom in me, the mom of a pretty, little six-year-old girl. I know she's growing up but I'm not sure she should do it too quickly. So when I got a telephone call I thought of her. Ok, I'll explain.

I got a call from a girlfriend of mine with a plea for help. She thought she should let her 10 year old girl keep a social networking account. I think it was My Space or something like that. Anyway, she said it seemed like a good idea at first. The girl pleaded with her mom "Please, Puh-leeeeeeease, ALL of my friends have on". My friend complied.
A few days later she received a call from one of her friends who said they noticed her ten year old's page stating she is 19!!! Wh-What?
This has clearly gotten a little out of control.
Kids not only have to worry about cyber bullies but sexual predators. It's easy to pose as another ten year old girl and create a profile. It's so simple to get someone to trust you on-line, after all it seems harmless enough.

My friend got the following response:

"It's not like these 'friends' can find me!"
I gave her the address to a helpful site. http://www.wiredsafety.org/youth.html
And I'm not sure that it's healthy to develop on line relationships with legitimate friends. We had to make friends face-to-face, call on the telephone or meet on the playground. It taught us how to interact with others.
Ok, I have a social networking account. But I learned how to make friends first. I'm afraid this new generation won't learn the importance of communication and how it works in our lives. I'm afraid of sexual predators. And I'm afraid that I might be reporting on this little girl. Or as a co-worker put it, "don't make me write about you".
So I said to my friend, if your daughter gets a 121 for some LIK and the person on the other end of the e-mail says LHSX, LEMENO. Cause it's waaaaay outta hand. BTW, by the way to understand what your daughter or son is saying or to translate what I just said, go to http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp.