Advantages of MySpace for Military Kids

by Andrea Downing Peck

When their 14-year-old daughter set up a MySpace account, the parents–an active duty Air Force dad and his wife–gave the teenager their blessing.  Having moved seven times in nine years, the couple believed their daughter’s foray into Internet social networking provided her with an up-to-date way to stay connected with friends.

The ground rules were simple.  The family computer would be located where it could be seen and the teen would be supervised online.  The system worked well-until their daughter created a second MySpace account that her parents did not know about.

Her daughter’s alternative MySpace profile “wasn’t too bad,’’ says Ruthie, who requested her full name not be used.  “But there was stuff we consider inappropriate.  Some people might think it was fine, but we are a little stricter than a lot of people.”

Positives

Your may be unfamiliar with the social phenomena known as MySpace, but odds are your teenage child is well versed in the Internet site that serves as a cyber bulletin board, yearbook, personal journal and photo album for more than 70 million registered users.

To join MySpace, members must provide their birth date, proving they are 14 or older.  Once their account is established, members can “talk” with other MySpace users through instant messaging, posting bulletins or joining interest groups.  They also can personalize their profiles to display their talents, interests, taste in music and opinions.

“It’s a reality now that social networking is just kind of an extension of kids’ social lives offline,” says Anne Collier, co-author of MySpace Unraveled: A Parent’s Guide to Teen Social Networking.  “It is hard for them to consider extracting it from their social mix.”

For today’s military teens, MySpace is not only written into their social DNA, but it also can be an umbilical cord to friends at former duty stations or relatives in the United States when stationed overseas.

Teresa Brendler, an Army wife and mother of two in Mannheim, Germany, says MySpace has become an integral part of her active 14-year-old son’s life.  “How cool for him to easily be able to keep up with friends who end up being stationed literally all over the world,” Brendler says.  “He also has two cousins he chats with.  It’s way more good than bad.”