Have you had to read Lord of the Flies (William Golding) for school yet? It’s a rather sad and depressing book about a bunch of boys who are stranded on an island. The reason it has become so popular is because of what the story symbolizes: Most kids, when left to themselves, will revert to savagery and evil, and the good kids who try to do what’s right will end up being sucked into the danger by the bad ones. Okay, that’s a really brief summary, but you get the idea. MySpace is a little like that. Sure, there are some good things being said on MySpace, and I know a lot of Christian kids and adults who have one. But the vast majority of what is said and shown on that website is dangerous. Without adult supervision, kids can say and show whatever they feel like, no matter how dark, disgusting, dangerous or destructive it may be. Even strong Christians can get sucked into compromise, whether on purpose or by accident.

The Bible talks about the danger of just venting all your feelings for the world to hear. Proverbs 29:11 (ESV) says, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise [girl] quietly holds it back.” Verse 20 goes on to say, “Do you see a [girl] who is hasty in [her] words? There is more hope for a fool than for [her].”

But why is it so dangerous?

Here’s something I know none of us likes to think about, but it’s a very real danger. Do you realize that you might think you’re talking to a 16 year-old boy—you might even see a picture of what looks like a 16 year-old boy—but the person on the other end could actually be a 57 year-old man looking to prey on young girls? Gross, I know. But it’s true, sis. It’s scary how easy it would be for that man to download your pictures, find out where you go to school, and gather other personal information about you. It’s downright disgusting.
Even though it may feel like your parents are the only ones in the world that won’t let you have a MySpace account, many parents are starting to crack down on this unsupervised site. And to tell you the truth, I’m with them! I don’t have a MySpace account either. I know it feels like your parents are taking your freedom from you, but the truth is they’re protecting you from the dangers that are out there, sis. So instead of fighting them on it, you might want to thank them for loving you that much.

Love,