myspace getting negative attention Options

[Im So Vain]

Police probe alleged MySpace-linked sex crimes
Teen girls met older men through social networking site, police say
  COMING UP ON DATELINE NBC      

• Feb. 3, Friday, 9 p.m.
Tune in to Dateline's ongoing hidden camera investigation into computer sex predators -- grown men, trolling Internet chatrooms for young teenagers. This time, police are making arrests.

Updated: 11:55 a.m. ET Feb. 3, 2006
HARTFORD, Conn. - Police are investigating whether as many as seven teenage girls have been sexually assaulted by men they met through the popular Web site MySpace.com.

The girls, ages 12 to 16, are from Middletown and say they were fondled or had consensual sex with men who turned out to be older than they claimed. None of the incidents appeared to be violent, said Middletown Police Sgt. Bill McKenna.

He said it was difficult to determine the exact number of victims because some girls have been reluctant to disclose that they met their assailants online.


The social networking Web site allows users to create profiles that can include photos, personal information and even cell phone numbers.


In a statement Thursday, MySpace.com said it was committed to providing a safe environment for its users. The site, which includes safety tips, also prohibits use by anyone younger than 14, though a disclaimer says the people who run the site can't always tell if users are lying about their ages.

Copyright 2006 The Associated

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11165576/

Is it just me or does it seem like myspace is constantly in the news all of a sudden. A lot of these young girls on the net these days are just not thinking straight. And also my chemistry teacher who is also a professor at Stanford University said that some colleges are starting to look at prospective students myspace pages, to see what their personality is like. And if they do not like what they see they will deny you admission.


WHat do you guys think about all this?

[*Blow_Don't_SUCK*]

I've heard of this in school. I live in Stamford Connecticut. I didn't make a big deal out of it, considering I barely have anything on my myspace.

[Saeglopur]

Lame.


But doesn't matter... one of my teachers have a myspace.

I have one solely just to comment people and stuff.

[*Statistik*]

I've heard a similar case from my teacher as well. This girl was literally stalked by a guy in myspace, who asked her to meet-up (when they didn't even know each other) and a couple days later, that girl was found dead naked dumped in a garbage can. I am not joking around. This is pretty scary shit..Never give out your personal info or anything like that..ya feelin?!!

[SillyCourtney]

I have one solely just to comment people and stuff.

Same here, and mine doesn't contain much personal information for this exact reason.

[*tweeak*]

I loathe myspace. This happens to be one of the reasons why, in part. I've taken virtually everything off mine. I have one barely visual picture, a list of bands I like, and minimal other info because people from my school kept finding me, and I didn't like that. I only have it now for the sake of keeping in touch with people I wouldn't talk to otherwise.

[*mzkandi*]

Moved to Current Events

[Im So Vain]

I loathe myspace. This happens to be one of the reasons why, in part. I've taken virtually everything off mine. I have one barely visual picture, a list of bands I like, and minimal other info because people from my school kept finding me, and I didn't like that. I only have it now for the sake of keeping in touch with people I wouldn't talk to otherwise.

Yeah me too. I didnt like people from my school finding me neither, that's why I deleted my other one. I dont even have information like my name, school or anything important on mine. Only a select few from my school are my friends.

[Paradox of Life]

I loathe myspace. This happens to be one of the reasons why, in part. I've taken virtually everything off mine. I have one barely visual picture, a list of bands I like, and minimal other info because people from my school kept finding me, and I didn't like that. I only have it now for the sake of keeping in touch with people I wouldn't talk to otherwise.

Same here. -___-; MySpace was originally made for trying to find relationships, but because of the low age limit, unwise little children have been getting into it and screwing their lives up with sick pedophiles. That's why most hook-up sites (e-spin, e-harmony, gothicmatch, etc) require you to be at least 18 years of age.

[WickedDreamer]

Someone created a group called I Hate _person's name_ Club. Everyone who was a member got called into the office and had to talk to the princible, I don't know what else happened. But, I was scared cause I thought I was gonna be called in there, even though I wasn't a member!

[chococat15]

Same here. -___-; MySpace was originally made for trying to find relationships, but because of the low age limit, unwise little children have been getting into it and screwing their lives up with sick pedophiles. That's why most hook-up sites (e-spin, e-harmony, gothicmatch, etc) require you to be at least 18 years of age.

i agree. but i'm very careful not to give any personal info. that's just stupid....to put that on the internet. another reason why i don't really like IM anymore.

[xosteffanator]

Whoa.
I better not let my parents see this....(or no more myspace =[ )
but those girls were probably just too stupid to realize who these people might really be

[uLoVeMikeRoch]

I've heard a similar case from my teacher as well. This girl was literally stalked by a guy in myspace, who asked her to meet-up (when they didn't even know each other) and a couple days later, that girl was found dead naked dumped in a garbage can. I am not joking around. This is pretty scary shit..Never give out your personal info or anything like that..ya feelin?!!

Jason, no one wants to meet you even if you did give them your personal info.

[pshaa.shauna]

This is why myspace is dumb. I've told people for ages that it sceams "RAPE ME!"


I was actually watching that dateline a few hours ago.

[Retrogressive]

Honestly, everyone I know has nearly EVERYTHING about them on myspace. Their age, location, sex, bfs/gfs, ALL the schools they've been to, names, pictures of family members... I mean.... If people are stupid enough to do some of these things they seriously deserve to be beaten over the head with a live salmon. And parents cry on cameras, telling sob stories when it was their own faults they didn't teach their children any better and they didn't keep a better eye on them.

I don't even have anything on my myspace, not even my friends or their comments. It's either a place where people can whore about all the cool friends who added them or where you can whore your own picture AND the cool friends who added you. Oh yes.. and for you to show how scene you are.

[Socialite]

i didn't delete anythign off of mine, i just made it private so only my friends can see my pix and read my stuff

[gelionie]

I don't use MySpace... but to a certain extent, I think it's not just MySpace, but that can happen to anyone who has an Internet access.

[Hell-Rell]

Yeah MySpace is gettin a lot of attention I've heard it on the radio like 3 times, heard it in 2 new songs, and seen it on T.V

[*Statistik*]

Jason, no one wants to meet you even if you did  give them your personal info.

umm shut the f**k up..it's kinda obvious that NO STRANGER would even want to meet a person that they don't know..except for creepy ass muh f**kers

[*mona lisa*]

Wow. It was expected, but just wow. This is why I never respond to those stupid messages I get.

[rAwritsgWeg]

its becuz they wanna be f***** they are the ones puutin themselves up there

ya know what i mean

like when my friends are surfin they look up chicks on it and the pictures are very revealing(not that i have a prob. wit that but ya know)

its their fault they are sluts!!!

well i dont know about that its just people shouldnt lie about their ages

[*not_your_average*]

I have a MySpace. I put pictures on there. I put some stuff about me on there. Any creepy messages I get...oh wait. I haven't gotten any.

MySpace is perfectly fine if you use common sense.

[fameONE]

There's nothing on either one of my profiles that I haven't shown my parents.

If the behavior you exhibit on myspace is something you'd hide from your parents, you shouldn't have one.

If you're dumb enough to talk to a complete stranger and post up all of your personal info, then you're inviting trouble.

I've met some strange, strange people on myspace and it was my fault but as someone who can hold his own, its no longer a problem. That was dumb to begin with on my part.

But for a 14 year old girl to get too personal with a random guy, it is a concern. I have a little sister, and I don't want anything happening to her. I'm not thrilled that she's on myspace at all because anything can happen.

[Chii]

Honestly, everyone I know has nearly EVERYTHING about them on myspace. Their age, location, sex, bfs/gfs, ALL the schools they've been to, names, pictures of family members... I mean.... If people are stupid enough to do some of these things they seriously deserve to be beaten over the head with a live salmon. And parents cry on cameras, telling sob stories when it was their own faults they didn't teach their children any better and they didn't keep a better eye on them.

I don't even have anything on my myspace, not even my friends or their comments. It's either a place where people can whore about all the cool friends who added them or where you can whore your own picture AND the cool friends who added you. Oh yes.. and for you to show how scene you are.

i completely agree with you. our peers just love to whore themselves with every oppurtunity they get for attention and show off all their "friends."

it's ridiculous how people obsess over myspace, "oh yeah! carmen electra just added me!" or "wow i got x amount of new friends in like 5 minutes!"

however, this meeting people from myspace isn't exactly anything new...i've heard of plenty of people meeting others from myspace just for sex

i hate how people complain about crap they can't fix. myspace can raise the age limit to 18 but that's not going to fix anything. people are still going to lie about their age. they could shove safety tips and horrible rape experiences down every myspace member's throat on a daily basis but there are still going to be idiots meeting other idiots and getting raped/taken advantage of/molested/murdered.

I have a MySpace. I put pictures on there. I put some stuff about me on there. Any creepy messages I get...oh wait. I haven't gotten any.

MySpace is perfectly fine if you use common sense.

nooo, nothing is safe! i only have a xanga and i still get visits from weird people. i don't allow comments or eprops or basically anything nor do i even comment people. but on my tracker, i've noticed that i still get hits from weird perverts. and my username isn't suggestive at all.

[edit: 1:11pm]
i just looked at my tracker and there's this little girl.

abuse me? good god, she's 14

Teens Putting Themselves at Risk Online
Last month, 14-year-old Judy Cajuste was found strangled and naked in a Newark, New Jersey, garbage bin and 15-year-old Kayla Reed was found dead in a canal not far from her Livermore, California, home.

Both deaths remain unsolved and the use of MySpace.com has surfaced in both investigations.

As recently as a few years ago, Aftab said the profile of an online victim was a young woman who felt alone, didn't have many friends and craved attention.

Then, in 2002, 13-year-old Christina Long of Danbury was strangled in a Danbury mall parking lot by a 26-year-old man she met on the Internet. Long was a popular cheerleader, a good student and an altar girl. The profile went out the window.

Now, Aftab said, it's no surprise that a wealthy state such as Connecticut is seeing a spate of problems.

"This is a rich and upper-middle-class problem," Aftab said. "They have too much time, too much technology and their parents aren't around to keep an eye on them."

[*not_your_average*]

nooo, nothing is safe! i only have a xanga and i still get visits from weird people. i don't allow comments or eprops or basically anything nor do i even comment people. but on my tracker, i've noticed that i still get hits from weird perverts. and my username isn't suggestive at all.

Well, I understand where you're coming from. But if you exercise enough restraint, you have much less of a chance of getting taken advantage of.

My username isn't suggestive either. I mean, people may message you, but ultimately, it's how you present yourself on your page. It's based on that, and on the kinds of people you've added. That girl may have literally invited these guys to have sex/do something to her. You never know, but you can still try to be safe on the internet.

So far, I haven't gotten any strange messages yet, and if I do, I'll delete them.

[KissMe2408]

wow.
It's a good idea just to accept friends that you know.
And yah that is kinda messed up what I read.
I actually have a myspace.
I don't like too much info on it, but i barely accept anyone that I dont' know. And probably putting your profile to the private setting is smarter.

[racoons > you]

myspace itself is not the problem

its the irresponsible use of myspace which is the danger.

[fameONE]

myspace itself is not the problem

its the irresponsible use of myspace which is the danger.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Chii...
Just because you get a weird emssage from someone doesn't mean you're in danger. You're only in danger when you respond and begin to a build a relationship. Just read what James put. Its all about personal responsibility.

[*lil_chubby_cheeks2*]

I have a MySpace. I put pictures on there. I put some stuff about me on there. Any creepy messages I get...oh wait. I haven't gotten any.

MySpace is perfectly fine if you use common sense.

LOL YEAH. IF YOU WERE IN THE CHAT YESTERDAY, YOU WOULDVE HEARD OF MY STORY...
anyways here it is

so yesterday during science, the police dude at our school came and did a powerpoint about 'safety on the internet' and he showed us some people, scott [12], sissy [15], and then 'jenny [14].' 'she' was interested in modeling and so was this other girl. so 'jenny' made some resumes ad faxed them to her parents, they signed it and the girl was ready to go. 'jenny' invited her over, some place far away from her home. so when the girl came over 'jenny' raped her... 'jenny' is a man as you can tell...she had a myspace and yeah thats how they met.


and later on, my friend mackenzie asked 'what should i do? i have a myspace and i have my pictures on there' and the polive officer said 'just set you myspace on private'
and im like 'WTF mackenzie whyd you say that? we're not supposed to tell them we have a myspace' cause like in our school newpaper, theres a column on 'inappropriate sites' and it has myspace listed on it. it says 'students should not be using these sites etc..' and they didnt even care when mackenzie brought it us

[uLoVeMikeRoch]

except for creepy ass muh f**kers

Which are the people that are meeting up with unsuspecting people and raping them, straight up the ass.

[fameONE]

Which are the people that are meeting up with unsuspecting people and raping them, straight up the ass.

hahahaha

[such a tragedy]

my school sent home newsletters to the parents and everything. people dont realize that myspace is not only for rapists and stalkers. its just like any other website out there. it has its benefits and advantages, like talking to people without picking up the phone and just having fun commenting someone's pictures. its a lot easier to communicate with people that have a myspace that maybe dont have aim or you dont talk to on the phone. other websites could have personal information, like xanga or anything of the sort. yes, there are things people should take into account, like not putting all of their personal information on there and not talking to people they dont know. if people were a bit smarter about it, then myspace is perfectly acceptable.

[demolished]

Children are just idiots or ... it's just their parents because they didnt lecture enough. Who knows. I'm glad that cB has a news forum to keep us aware and realize what's wrong.

[AnnahhbeL]

my school banned myspace, xanga, etc.
i was like wtf!! my school sended letters home to our parents explaing about this stuff & how to go trough our history even though its deleted.

[Gerifan04]

I just can't feel bad for these girls. They're stupid. I've been on the net since I was 14 and I've never been that stupid. Yeah I've met some shady people online. But I always break off communication if they give me bad vibes. Also I have a rule. I won't meet them online unless I have seen them on a webcam. Yeah that limits people who don't have a cam but I'm not willing to trust people. Several times on forums and such I've seen people say they're someone else, just pretending. So I always go on the net knowing one thing especially. "Anyone at any time could turn out to not be who they say.." Its simple but amazingly this common sense is lacked in people like those girls.

Also, you always meet someone online at a mall or anywhere very public and crowded. Especially try to find a place that has security.

ETA: Sorry, I meant to say I wont' meet them "offline" if I haven't seen them on cam. Sorry if I gave the wrong idea.

[sandy_lumpy_shor...]

i seriously hate myspace. i hate it when peopel use it as lieka friend counter and stupid whiny girls that go up to there friends and say "LIKE OMG!!! Y DIDNT U PUT ME IN UR TOP 8!!!!!!!" i just wanna slap all of them and introduce them to a life. this one guy at a school died adn some people made a website for him and it was so sad and so pethitic. and it was a websitre that made fun of his death. also a group of parents at our school get together adn look at myspaces of there childrens friends.

but then again, its good to because alot of apoligizes are from messaging on myspace. its kinda sad, but if it solves the problem....

[The_AZN_Godfathe...]

The MySpace slogan, "A place for friends" was taken quite far and people had an urge to get as many friends as possible. Quite annoying really.

I heard one of my classmates say, "I feel so important when a celebrity adds me."
Get a life.

MySpace:"A place for stalkers"

[*not_your_average*]

I agree with Gerifan04. I mean, I do have some online friends, but I'll only talk to them if I'm 100% sure of them. My online friends are pretty cool, but you have to exercise a certain amount of restraint.

If I get bad vibes from you, I'll cut off communication from you.

[iDecay]

MM, I only add people that I know. I get some weird messages from guys too and got one in spanish. I read them and laugh. ._. I have some e-friends too, but like Radhika said, I only talk to them if I'm 100% sure of them.

[steezahh]

thats scary.
i never even use mines. so no worry`s.

[*Programmer*]

the girl was...stupid.....the guy was even more stupid....two stupid people jepordizing...myspace's...credibility..

[innovation]

And also my chemistry teacher who is also a professor at Stanford University said that some colleges are starting to look at prospective students myspace pages, to see what their personality is like. And if they do not like what they see they will deny you admission.
WHat do you guys think about all this?

I doubt they would reject an otherwise qualified applicant based on his or her Myspace account, unless it has random curse words or naked pictures or something.

[sadolakced acid]

i read something that said that some companies that do background checks check for a myspace.

[*mipadi*]

I doubt they would reject an otherwise qualified applicant based on his or her Myspace account, unless it has random curse words or naked pictures or something.

I don't doubt it. I know a lot of employers use Facebook now to check up on potential employees, and a lot of universities use Facebook to crack down on rules violators. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this was extended to MySpace as well.

[Jayembe]

im 14 and sure i add other ppl i dont no but i never insist to meet them i hate myspace and i dont understand how u can judge a persons personlaity by a webpage shown on the internet on my myspace it appears like i am a girly girl and very preppy wen realy im not anythin like that its jus bcus i liked the layout and those grls r rely dumb like if anyone asked for nude pictures of me or location wise i wuld [/U] never give it to them.

[innovation]

I don't doubt it. I know a lot of employers use Facebook now to check up on potential employees, and a lot of universities use Facebook to crack down on rules violators. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this was extended to MySpace as well.

So colleges would reject an applicant solely because of his or her Myspace, even if there were nothing radical about it?

[*mipadi*]

So colleges would reject an applicant solely because of his or her Myspace, even if there were nothing radical about it?

No, that's ridiculous. I didn't say people were getting denied jobs because of an online account that displayed nothing inappropriate.

[sadolakced acid]

but i'd assume if you were applying to be a tour guide at a holocaust museum and your myspace is covered with neonazi stuff there'd be a problem.

[*not_your_average*]

Haha, true.

But I don't get it, though; I understand that the college wants to see what you're really like, but this is ridiculous. What a student keeps on their private page is their own business. There's no need for a college to be snooping around like that.

[*not_your_average*]

BUMMP.

How much crap is MySpace going to get?

[symphomaniac]

A lot.
Maybe a week ago, my mom was listening to the radio and the subject was myspace. The dude talking was talking about how it's a pedophile's heaven, and that's saying something because that DJ is....insansely disgusting. It takes a lot to make him find something immoral.

[*not_your_average*]

Forreal.
I've seen you around; do you live in Houston? 11 News was on last night, and...SMH. Mann.

[NgocQuyen]

haha i never really...plan to meet anybody on myspace..if they look psycho i just don't talk to them....hahaha....but yeah i've heard a lot of stuff about myspace on the news and stuffs. and i heard the college admission people were going to check out ALL of your online webistes, not just myspace. i personally don't use it for anything but a place to keep in touch with friends...i don't see anything wrong with that i dont think....

[symphomaniac]

Forreal.
I've seen you around; do you live in Houston? 11 News was on last night, and...SMH. Mann.

Yes m'am. Sorta Houston. Right outside of it. The dude Atom Smasher on 104.1 was talkin' about it. I saw the commercial for the myspace story on the news last night, and my mom was watching Dancing with the Stars with me and she says, "See? See? That's why I don't want you on myspace anymore!" But-ahem- I haven't exactly left yet.

[george_fred]

People should know better than to meet people they met on the internet. -sigh- The whole thing is sad.

[*not_your_average*]

Yes m'am. Sorta Houston. Right outside of it. The dude Atom Smasher on 104.1 was talkin' about it. I saw the commercial for the myspace story on the news last night, and my mom was watching Dancing with the Stars with me and she says, "See? See? That's why I don't want you on myspace anymore!" But-ahem- I haven't exactly left yet.

One thing that pisses me off is that people don't use their common sense. That's why little girls are getting raped. BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO COMMON SENSE.

[EddieV]

^ agreed.

[xmkaex]

i don't have a myspace...
but the thing that kinda annoys me is that my cousin who is only 12 has a myspace...she tries to act older than she is...and im pretty sure u have to be 14... 16?...

[rainbowish]

My parent actually tried to ban me from MySpace but that didnt work. I am quitting it tho. Its pointless. There is no point to MySpace.

These girls are stupid. You should NEVER meet someone in rea life if you have met them on the net. Stupid Girls.

[mylittleMiracle]

i wont go out with myspace friends because i live in HK.....-.-

[Levy2k6]

lol..

i saw myspace in the news lately but yeah.... it's the same as finding people on AIM or yahoo mensenger or chat rooms... it's always the same risk so it's not news to me.

myspace is getting negative attention from me because IT NEVER WORKS NOW.. im always getting login disabled problems and maintance stuff! ugh.

[racoons > you]

now... the whole internet is full of opportunities for people to meet each other, and for unfortunate incidents to occur.

so surely, if myspace is so well known, and it's getting all this media coverage, people are aware of this risk, and consequently it is less risky than less well known sites.

the greatest risk is a risk which no one fully understands/is aware of.

[x0_forever_0x]

yeah...myspace is like scarrry!

[CHiiCKENBUTT]

my mom doesn't want me to go on myspace anymore because they found a girl in the san francisco bay that was killed because she met up with someone off of myspace

[cLinT_wEStw0oD]

f**k. it's getting hot fast. i gotta go under.

[colleen92]

i think the young girls who plaster their phone number and aim sn all over myspace then tell everybody what their address is and accept 10000000 friends and then make plans to meet up with them are stupid.

but that's just me.

[*yrrnotelekktric*]

Lame.

I have one solely just to comment people and stuff.

same here.

[bobby james]

It's not myspace, it's these people that choose to use it.
That's what the FRIENDS ONLY function is for, that's what the deny or accept function is for. And yes, a pedofile could send a message but guess the f**k what, you have the option to not reply or tell them to eff off or just delete the darn message.
It's ALSO, these teenage girls and even some grown women posting provocative pictures on their pages. And it also stems from them having all of that sexual inuendo on their pages.
Lots of people just don't wanna make their pages private for the sake of them being popularity feinds and attention whores, well that is most definitely where it can get you. I know just by the way I look some gay pedophile will probably try something and all that jazz, so I have a private page and my main picture is not some slutty, revealing picture. It DOES help. A lot of these young girls put a different, OLDER, age so there page won't be private A lot of these parents don't wanna look at the pages anyway, my mom saw my sisters myspace and she had a lot of crazy stuff on there.
It's like those girls who get drunk and crap and go home with someone, wake up the next day, don't know where the hell they are and wanna cry RAPE. Don't put the damn food in your mouth if you are not willing to taste all the ingredients that come in it.