Should we talk her parents? Serious answers pelase!?

Question

My wife and I caught our daughter creating a MySpace account. She is 12 years old. We also learned that at least 1 of her friends has a MySpace account as well. Now, according to MySpace's terms of use, you must be 16 years of age to have a MySpace account. This means that both our daughter and her friend have misrepresented their ages on their profiles. Both of which we have seen when we caught her. Our daughter also eluded to the fact that the parents of her friend knew that her friend had a MySpace account. My question is; should we talk to the other girls parents? Or worry about our daughter and let them handle theirs?

It should be noted that we have already talked to our daughter and taken the account and her internet privlileges away from her.

While I appreciate the thoughtful answers, maybe I phrased the question wrong. I know what I need to be doing with my daughter. I am worried about her friend and should I inform her parents?

Thank you to all of you who answered the question correctly.

also it really scares me about society when people seem to think its okay to lie. Even a little lie. I mean, people saying that a 12 year old creating a MySpace account is harmless!!! She lied to do it!!! Folks, that's not okay. Trust is a big thing lacking these days. I believe that society needs to reinvest themselves in teaching our children to tell the truth and that a lie, no matter how small is still a lie.

Answer 1

I have raised three children and I know how they will cover for each other. I would let the other parents know just exactly what you have told us and of your concerns. If they allow their daughter to have a MySpace account doesn't mean it is right. You have to do what is best for your daughter, as she is your main concern. Good luck on those teenage years. You have to be strong and consistent. Don't fall into the trap of being manipulated. I carry around in my wallet a letter my son wrote to me after he was grown that thanked me for being strict. I wasn't mean, but I loved him enough that I didn't fall for every thing a teenager would throw at me.

Answer 2

As a recent high school graduate, i can tell you that Myspace is really quite harmless. I know your worried about stalkers and child predators but there are way to get around these things. I have a younger brother who is the same age as your daughter and he has a Myspace account. Naturally i want to look out for him so what i do is i check it every couple of days. If something suspicious is on there you can report it and that person will be deleated from the program. As far as talkin to the other girls parents it might be a good idea. I know if i were a parent i would want to be able to look out for my child. Make sure that they are aware of it. However once again i found Myspace to be more of a way to just communicate with friends, Another thing that you can do is set the account to private, which means that only people that have been approved, like friends, can see her profile. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

This is a tough situation. I think a lot of young kids are going on myspace and using it to meet the opposite sex, or at least to get in touch with them. At the age of 12, kids tend to be careless...and don't think of what they're doing. Although there's no harm in actually holding a myspace, it might be important to know WHY they would even want one. Try talking to your daughter, a LOT. Don't be ruley or act as head of the household. You sound like a down to earth person (with the way you worded this) so be that way with her. There's nothing better than being able to trust your children, so you need to establish that she can trust you with information, without you immediately grounding her or yelling. As for the other girl, in my opinion you shouldn't but in, maybe if anything, tell their parents that they should monitor her internet use because you think she might be doing the same thing as your daughter or something. Maybe even, have a talk with her AND your daughter...it might help =)

Answer 4

Hello,
Although Myspace has put an age restriction on their website for good security reasons, if you properly teach your daughter the dangers of the Internet and monitor the purposes in which she is using her MySpace account, than there may not be any problems in her using it. As long as she knows not to put personal information on her sight, and not to give out personal information to strangers, it can be a good way for your daughter to express creativity, learn web design and keep in touch with her friends. If you see your daughter and her friend using the site inappropriately, then I think it would definately be crucial that you speak to the other girls parents about it b/c it is highly likely that they do not know about it. (Hint; if you know the URL to your daughters MySpace, there will most likely be a link to her friends and anyone else whom she is talking with on the site)

Answer 5

I raised my daughter right so I dont' worry about her myspace account, I watch it closely. Its none of your families business if someone else has an account, you just need to address your daughter. She shouldn't create any kind of account anywhere without your permission. Thats what you need to address, what made her think she had the right too? Maybe you need to take away her internet priviledges for a while.

Answer 6

In my opinion, you should talk with your daughter and find out why she wants a myspace. there is a reason the age has to be 16. direct her attention to the msn version of my space. it will still let her friends see what's she putting on there. She's 12 years old, she's still a child. you, as the parent, need to monitor what she's putting on there. if she insists it's an invastion of her privacy, then she isn't mature enough to have one. confront your daughter and then confront the friends parents. they need to be aware of it. there might be something more going on in their lives than you know.

Answer 7

you should at least warn the girl's parents. Myspace is a way for lots of older weirdos to talk to ur kids. and have u seen ur daughter's myspace picture? because that can be a way for girls to put up revealing pictures of themselves.

Answer 8

i think you should worry about your own daughte cause if you go sticking your nose into someone else business regardless of whether they know about the account or not its there businees and whether something is said or not its going to create a rift. so talk to your daughter.
and she is only 12 if she is a true 12 year innocent and very thing else then all she wants is to put her info up there and pictures and see who wants to make friends. but i wouldnt let here allot of people lie on there and its mainly for people who can reason very good.
um try to create a web page for her and her friends only where they can share pictures and videos within themselves and if any outsiders wants to join in i say you meet them then put them in ther yourself. remember kids who are still 100percent virgin are just curious in a nieve way.

Answer 9

My personal theory on that is this..... Myspace can be used as a tool. It can keep you abreast as to what is really going on in your daughters life. If you keep her from it she will do it anyway hiding. If you let it lie and watch her page and her friends and their comments you will know what she is doing and who her friends are. Stalk it up baby!

Answer 10

you are her parents so delete her account. she is not 16 as yet. if she lies about her age she may be lying about other things when she gets on myspace. she is not responsible enough as yet. maybe there is something else she can do but you should take a stand as her parents before you can't control her anymore.