Moms, did you see Dr Phil today about My Space (internet)?

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Katherine is a teenage honor student who met a young man on MySpace.com.

On her own and without her parent's knowledge (she just disappeared), she's twice flown to Palestine to be with this man. Once she's been brought back.

Katherine's now in Palestine and her parents are terrified they won't see her ever again. Our laws mean nothing over there.

Keep her and her family in your thoughts.

Do your kids use Myspace.com?
cj.

I don't mean to bash My Space nor parents. It's an awareness issue and some parents are no more tuned in to the internet than they are tuned in to fashion. I've seen great posts and I hope more parents will post their advice for other parents.

My daughter is 13 and she has a myspace....I also have one. I have her password and check it daily. Her page is marked to private so only her friends that she has added can see it. We have discussed what to do if someone that she does not know contacts her. It has happened and she handled it just as I told her. I do not feel that it is myspace's fault for these young girls out there who meet these guys. I feel its the parents fault. Children should not have a computer in their room, it should be in a supervised area of the home. And no matter what parents should always check what their children are doing on the internet. There are so many ways to protect your child if the parent cares enough to do so before it gets to point where they cannot any longer.

My kids are too young to use the computer but when they do I will be standing over them watching!

I don't even get on myspace because my husband says its just a hook up site.

Im a South African and a friends daughter 17yrs old and doing her last yr of schooling, met a guy on 'my space'.

She has given up schooling, this guy who is 10yrs older than her, works as a waiter, organised for this kid to travel 2000km to be with him. She is now also waitressing as they try to make a life together!

DEVESTATING TO THE FAMILY

I have zero sympathy for parents who do not know what their kid is doing on the computer, the my space is a great place for kids and teens when they are good kids and honor student doesn't mean victim, the only victims will be the good kids who have fun and the parents who will watch their kids lose out if they shut down the my space, it is the kid like the one you mentioned who ruins it for others, I say she is where she wants to be so whatever happens to her is her own fault and the parents raised a bad kid and they are reaping what they sowed.

No, I didn't. I don't allow my 13 year old daughter to be on Myspace.com. She is only allowed on certain sites and her computer time is limited. She thinks I'm unreasonable, but hey I'm Mom: unreasonable is my middle name!

Quite a bit of her acquaintances (not the kids she hangs around and calls friends) do have myspace accounts, but non of her friends do. Her friends have parents that are involved like me and set boundaries for their daughters. My daughter is an honor students and hangs out with the other "nerds," which is fine with me. They have likes, but aren't allowed boyfriends. They can attend birthday parties, but aren't allowed to go hang out with their friends just anywhere. They can telephone each other, but aren't allowed to talk all night long or if their school work isn't done.

Even honor students feel the need to rebel and act out and have "lives" and "romance" etc, but it is up to a parent to keep them focused on school, to guide them in life, and to realize that the only person they should be falling in love with at such a young age is themselves. I think that girls out there really need to know this.

Not to deride the parents but how does your daughter get to Palestine twice and stay there without you having any clue to her whereabouts? That's not a myspace issue - that's a lack of parenting. True, myspace can be used to lure people - just last week in AZ there was a home invasion in an upscale neighborhood because someone posted that there was a party at this girls house and some kids with guns stormed the place during the party.

My kid is 5 - too young for Myspace but I have a page - I got one to keep up with things. You never know.