Myspace

The retooled version of MYSPACE is more focused on entertainment: Users can subscribe to newsfeeds about their favorite actors and bands and learn about movies, video games, and TV shows; they can watch music videos, listen to songs, play games, and more. A new feature with Facebook called Mashup also lets users import their Facebook information and entertainment preferences to quickly create a Myspace profile. However, while Myspace may *seem* like it's placing less of an emphasis on social networking, connecting with other users is still a big draw -- and a point of concern.

The site has made some efforts to highlight safety. For example, a warning appears above comment fields advising users to be careful when posting personal information; there's also a section for parents on cyberbullying. Kids can also mark their profiles as private so only accepted friends can see them. But the issue really isn't who might look at your child's profile -- it's what profiles your child might see. Some user photos contain sexual images and references to drinking or external URLs (including porn sites); many profiles also contain offensive language. There aren't many safeguards in place to prevent questionable content from going live -- which is why Myspace is a better place for older users, not kids or teens.

Online interaction: To find other users, all you need to do is browse for people by location
and age -- and you can send users a message without having to friend
them. The content and tone of online interaction varies widely across
the site. You can encounter hate speech, profanity, sex talk: You name
it, Myspace has got it.