Hey, teens! (and parents) ... Should I check out my kid's MySpace page?

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I've struggled with the issue of allowing my children their privacy as well. I think we each have to decide what balance we are most comfortable with. I have decided that it's okay to check up on my kids once in a while. I have done so at first without telling them, but eventually they found out. They were not thrilled, but I bascially told them as their parent it's my job to make sure they stay safe. Part of keeping them safe is checking up on them from time to time. They actually encouraged me to create my own myspace, but once I started using it, they didn't like it. They said "myspace isn't for old people" lol. Truth be told I've gotten away from it. The funny thing is that a few months back her boyfriend invited me as a friend, not realizing that would give me access to his myspace (they all keep their myspace on private so that only their "friends" can see it) He told her he didn't realize what he had done! lol Anyways, checking up on her myspace as well has other areas has given me the scoop on a couple of areas where she could have potentially gotten into trouble and has helped me to make decisions on how much independence to give her. I have no regrets about checking up on her and I think deep down, she realizes (or will eventually realize) that it is all for her well being. Good luck.

I have a myspace because of my 16 yr old.Go there. Trust me that you should go there and make sure everything is ok.Myspace can be a very ugly placeYou don't have to tell him you went there if all is well, the internet is for everyone, you may as well be able to see what anyone else can see about your child.It's your safety as well as his.

This is actually quite a simple question. If he has a page on mySpace open for the public to see... that is everyone... including you. So there are no problems when it comes to you looking at it. If you objecting to what is on the page... it is another matter... and while your objections might be completely right... I would advise you to take the soft approach by telling him why it is not such a good idea to have such and such on his page. If you are angry at him for what he has put on that page and you demand that he removes it... you will be up for a big fight which will result in resentment for many days... or perhaps weeks.

My son has a myspace. The agreement was that he could have a myspace account if I could have the user name and password. So, yes, I check up on him regularly. If my son was a little older, I might not be so worried about it. Things are different now than when we were younger, and it's amazing to see the things these little girls will post. I have caught some nasty messages to my son from girls that were very inappropriate. It's not that I don't trust him, it's that I don't trust others.

i understand how you feel but you also have to look at it as it is a public board. anyone can see it so therefore you are not doing anything wrong by looking at it. i personally will not let my kids have a myspace account. i have one that i hardly ever check cause of the weirdos that message me. i know alot of kids that have gotten into lot of trouble through myspace as well. my kids arent allowed to use the pc online unless i am in the room with them i dont have to sit there but i will walk by all the time. as a parent you have the right to look out for his best interrest. i mean there would benothing wrong with looking at the older ones too as long as you didnt go harping about something on there. they are grown so you cant get on to them but it never hurts to have a look it is an open forum. as far as the one in your house eating your food etc you have every right to take a look and i would. i asked my daughter what she thought before i wrote a reply and she even said well if he writes for the public to see it why cant the mom look. also she said that if a parent thinks it is a good idea to see waht there kid is up to then they should find out. being a parent that just trust and never questions gives the kid alot of room to screw up and she even said if i let her on she would be in heaven lol. i told her fat chance. but she has a friend that has an account and her mom doesnt check it so that is what she uses to make plans and stuff that her mom would not let her do. she also got a boyfriend off of there that is 11 years older then her. my daughter said that is why she doesnt hang out with her cause she knows if she tried it she would be road kill. that and she doesnt want to get in trouble. so that was a teens thought on the matter too.

I wouldn't go and read it without his consent, if he ever found out he'd be angry and probably even turn away from coming to you with any problems he may have in the future (in fear that you'll judge or go against him). Instead, you should just be like "hey I noticed you have a myspace page....". Just be cool about it and tell him that you're not trying to sound too paranoid, but you'd feel a lot better about talking about things with him personally rather than reading it online.

I would take a look sweetie, i know it seems wrong but it's for the best, People are doing crazy things on the internet now and websites like myspace dont help anything. I'm 23 i dont have any kids but i'm 7 months pregnant and i know the things i used to do on myspace and the people i used to talk to you. I say take a glance put your mind at ease.

I wouldn't log in as him or anything, but I would ask him to be my friend on myspace. My coworker is "friends" with both of her daughters and it kind of shows that they won't be doing anything bad on there. Honestly, how could your kid say "no I don't want to be your friend!" :) Well he could but that's just a good idea to make him do it. I'm 26 and my mom can read my page (b/c I'm still public) but even if I wasn't I'd let her be my friend to see it.

do you really want to destroy his trust? is it that important? hopefully you have raised him right so that he is not doing anything illegal or immoral and just trust him...

I would have to check it out...sometimes it is really a surprise in a bad way..then I have heard some parents that they were really relieved!

I think you should atleast take a peak at it. Kids feel nothing can harm them and often put information (like schools) without thinking about it. Besides, if he had something to hide he wouldn't care as long as you respect his privacy.

As a guy around your sons age (18) i would have to go and say not to go snooping. Sure i know its tempting and you want to see and make sure everything is ok in his life but would you honestly want him snooping in your personal life if he had the chance too ? Of course use your best instinct and goodluck !

I have a myspace page, and most of my family is on there as well. My grandkids are in my 'friends' and I have full access to their pages. I'm not shocked or offended by what they write... they are entitled to have their own opinions and to express them in their own ways. Being trusting and open doesn't mean your son is ignorant of the dangers of being online. Send him a friend request.

I would definately check it out. You can never be too safe about those kinds of things. I would recommend that he makes his profile private so that people would have to send him a message first before viewing. Also talk with him about the dangers or giving out too much personal info.

I'm 18 and I don't have a myspace page, it seems like i'm the only one. I would tell you to check up on him because there are some sick and weird people online now and you don't know what could happen to him. It's really important that you know what he's doing in case it deals with bad stuff. My mother has a friend who's daughter has one and her own mother didn't know. So another friend told my mother and my mother checked out the page with this friend. On it she had pictures of herself doing things but which weren't too bad but bad enough to attract perverts and weirdos. Good luck with this and just follow your gut which is something I always do.

Hey patty, I know it's tempting to check out your son's myspace, I have a mother too lol. You should ask him to see it first. He IS sixteen years old so I should hope that he won't let some shady person know where he lives or anything like that.