Aug 18, 2008 6:49 pm US/Eastern
Spammers Striking Social Networking Sites
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Chris Jackson/Getty Images
It's a fact of modern life that young people spend a lot of time on social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace. Now, many unwanted visitors are trying to get onto their pages.
When it comes to using social networking sites, Joy Dudley keeps a close eye on her children's accounts. "I always told them to be careful who you communicate with when you're online."
That's the best advice, because they may be getting dozens of strangers asking to be their virtual friend.
Dr. Larry Rosen has written books about young people and the Internet. He says those messages can be "from businesses that want you to be their friend because they're looking for business. Some are from porn stars that set up their own MySpace page."
A recent survey showed in the past 12 months, 83% of users received spam, or an unfriendly message on their account. Four out of ten noticed an increase in the past six months. Helen Carabez, a teenager who uses these types of sites, said "I consider it annoying, but I just ignore it. I just delete it."
It is possible to customize your account, using the privacy settings to limit or block unwanted messages or solicitations. Rosen says the real concern is with children, who like the idea of collecting friends, and who are more likely to say yes to every request.
Although it can sometimes be uncomfortable to talk to children about these issues, particularly when they know more they we do. Rosen said starting that dialogue is a must. "They need to talk to their kids, 'Well, what do you do if you get an email that's not very nice, how will you handle it."
Parents also have to remember that there are some positives associated with these sites. "It is a place where people communicate, form groups, and they present themselves to the world," Rosen said.
If you ever wonder just how popular these types of sites have become, consider this: There are now more than 150 million users world wide.
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