If you have a teenager between the ages of 13 and 17, chances are very good that they have at least one profile on MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, Xanga or one of the other popular social networks. After all, a 2006 study conducted by Cox Communications and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) approximately 61% of teenagers, ages 13 to 17 years old have a personal profile on one of the social networking sites. Of this group, older teens, age 16 and 17, and girls make up for most of the social networking profile holders. So if your teenager has a space on MySpace, there are a few things that you, as a parent, should know and do to keep your child safe.

Chilling Facts on Teen Internet Usage and Perception

First, let’s get the scary stuff out of the way. These statistics come from the study done by Cox Communication and NCMEC and they give us a chilling glimpse into what our children are facing in today’s online world.

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by Stacey Schifferdecker

Social networking sites are the newest and hottest thing on the internet, and even if you’ve never heard of them, chances are your tween or teen has. MySpace and Facebook are the most popular sites, but Wikipedia actually lists over 100 social networking sites catering to all types of interests.

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