Myspace.com®: friend or foe?

To the Editor: As readers may have noticed, Myspace.com® has been attacked by parents, officials and other adults. Some may have noticed this in social environments as well, and, as a teen of Sparta, I would like to give the other side of the story so you, the reader, can decide whether Myspace.com® really is a friend or a foe. Myspace.com® is a social networking environment in which friends, and (as you hear all the time) total strangers can meet. Although Myspace.com® has been known for its stalkers and strangers, it also has many perks. As a young teen in Sparta, I know that friends and social gatherings distance far and wide, making it difficult for the non-driver to get from point A to point B. Some parents and other officials do not know how hard it is for the teen to get around to where he needs to be. Therefore they use the telephone, Internet, and, on some occasions, actual letters. Myspace.com® has been attacked to look like a dark alley in a big city, when it is just “a place for friends,” as Myspace.com® has put it. If you take the time to look, there are many ways to block your profile from predators and stalkers. You may block it by requiring a last name before being added as a friend, setting a profile to “private” and only allowing friends, and not letting others add you as a friend. Myspace.com® has its downsides, yes, but it also is one of the easiest ways to communicate to friends, relatives and acquaintances. Dean Galvin, age 15 Sparta