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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, January 12, 2009 Teens often talk about sex, drugs, fights on MySpace By Kaitlin Manry Herald Writer Browse Snohomish County teens' MySpace pages and you'll find sexually suggestive photos, references to drug use and details on school fights and gang affiliations. Seattle researchers released a study last week that found that 54 percent of teens frequently discuss high-risk behavior on MySpace. Lake Stevens High School senior Gracie Sheheen isn't surprised. Teen culture -- especially as depicted on TV and online -- is entrenched in sex, alcohol and violence, she said. "It's so common," she said. "You almost do it out of habit." The study by Seattle Children's Research Institute examined 500 profiles posted on MySpace by people claiming to be 18 years old. The researchers found that 41 percent of the profiles referenced substance abuse, 24 percent referenced sex and 14 percent referenced violence. All of the profiles the researchers studied were public and available to anyone to view. Lead researcher Dimitri Christakis said some of the teens who post risky content don't actually engage in the behaviors, but even just claiming to do drugs or sleep around can have lasting consequences on the Web. "Teens, I think, probably have and continue to, talk on the ground, in the cafeteria about things they do -- true and false," he said. "But the stake is much larger here. It's not a matter of talking among a few friends. It's a matter of talking to thousands of friends and millions of people, many of whom are complete strangers." Sheheen said she got a MySpace page when she was in eighth grade and didn't think much about what she posted until her younger sister and her mom asked her to tone it down. She said she hadn't posted anything too racy, but she'd written comments about parties and posted pictures she wouldn't want strangers seeing. "I really regret it a lot," she said. "I look back on it, and see that I'm putting these out there for everyone to see." She's redone her MySpace page since then and marked it as private, so only her friends can view it. She's also started teaching middle school students how to avoid danger online through the FBI's Safe Online Surfing program. She and other Lake Stevens High students in Family, Community and Career Leaders of America adapted the FBI's program to something they can teach other teen. MySpace prohibits people from posting photos depicting nudity and "patently offensive" material, but allows some pictures of scantly clad people. Many teens post things on MySpace without considering that sex predators, college admission officials and employers can view what they say, said Lake Stevens High School senior Derek Hahn. "They post what they'd talk about with their close friends and don't realize anyone can look at it and see it and find out who you are," said Hahn, the Washington state president of the FCCLA. Admissions counselors at some universities acknowledge examining candidates' MySpace pages, but the University of Washington undergraduate admissions staff doesn't, spokesman Robert Roseth said. He said he didn't know if any of the university's graduate departments look at MySpace pages when making admissions decisions. "I have never heard of it being done, but that doesn't mean that no one does it because this is a big place," Roseth said. "As I think everybody has learned, the things that go into electronic space have an indefinite life. The things that are out there, even if you delete them don't necessarily go away. Students should be aware of that." In a related study also released last week, Christakis and research fellow Megan Moreno found that teens were more likely to take down questionable content or switch their profiles to private when adults let them know they were watching. After becoming involved in the study, Christakis decided to sign up for Facebook. His 10-year-old son doesn't engage in online social networking yet, but Christakis wants to be ready when he does. The researcher encourages all parents to look at their kids' sites and get on their buddy list. "The takeaway message is they need to become Internet savvy themselves," he said. "It's a life skill of the 21st century." Reporter Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292 or kmanry@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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