| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that this site isn't safe for teens. It claims to be a place for "teen dating" -- allowing teens as young as 13 to register -- but has thousands of adult users, many of whom are "friends" with young people. Some people post their real names, IMs, and email addresses. Others -- including young teens -- post sexually explicit comments and photographs that stop just short of nudity.
The international social networking site MYLOL.NET bills itself as "the #1 teen dating site in Google" -- that is, if you Google "teen dating," this site tops the list. Whether it's the most popular among actual teens is another story. There's no age cap on users, and visitors can search among profiles of people ages 13 to 40. (There are thousands of adults registered.) Users can post photos and videos, chat, and rank each other's "hotness." There are privacy controls that allows users to restrict their profiles to friends only.
In response to concerns that sexual predators might be using MyLOL.net to meet teens, the site's owner told BBC News in July 2008 that he planned to improve its security, but said the changes might take a few months. There's still plenty of reason to be concerned: There are too many adults, too many explicit photos, and too much
personal info being exchanged for MyLOL to be a safe social site
for teens. Also, there seems to be no way to delete an account.
Besides -- the site's design is dull, the content is poorly written, and there are no applications or other cool features. Teens have plenty of more innovative choices when it comes to social networking sites, including the options below.
Families can talk about Internet safety with social networking sites
and how nothing is private on the Internet. What information should you
include in your profile, and what should you leave out besides
identifying information? How do you know if you can trust someone
enough to make them a "friend" so they have access to your private
information?
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