MySpace is not a Controversy - Essay Example

This paper summarizes and analysis an article on My Space controversy by Bill Hewitt and highlight the points and reasons of disagreement. MySpace is an online recreational area for kids and at the same time it draws the attention of perverts and creeps (Hewitt).I disagree with the way Hewitt positions this article to prove MySpace as a controversy right from its title and description. Primarily aimed at building a community of young people looking for new friends, sharing music and their experiences, the website attracts and teenagers on a large scale.

These attractions make it one of the biggest web players with 20 percent of young visitors between the ages of 14-17(Hewitt). With such level of popularity and its widespread use among young adults and kids throughout the world, criminal use of such a convenient source right from their bedrooms is not unlikely. The fact is disturbing; however, it does not make “MySpace Nation” as Hewitt calls MySpace users, a controversy. I disagree with his term MySpace Nation at the first place, and secondly attributing them as a controversy.

If we go by Hewitt understanding, we must attribute those schools and all their students as controversy whose students are found guilty of rape or violence. Criminal acts like murder and rape are also associated with the teens using MySpace that has become preferable location for cyber-bullies and pedophiles (Hewitt).I completely disagree with Hewitt when he attributes criminal acts like murder and rape with the use of MySpace. It is not more than an exaggerated accusation without supporting evidence.

By doing so, Hewitt may also refer Harvard as a terrorist institution just because people who studied there were found involved in some terrorist activity. Hewitt does not clarify that how using MySpace is linked with 2 or 3 out of their million users being murderer or rapists. The picture Hewitt portrays injects a fear in the mind of readers and they immediately feel threatened by online safety of their kids using MySpace specifically. Hewitt describes parents’ experience who felt blown away by MySpace use as personal diaries.

However, I completely disagree with the idea of comparing MySpace with personal diaries. The main idea of MySpace is networking with friends and keeping the sense of community alive. For the safety part, kids can always personalize their space and select their friends. Parents can keep check on their kids’ friends and activities online to some extent as well. However, the idea of restricting MySpace use or limiting the time of using internet to 15 minutes seems completely impractical. MySpace membership is restricted to users who are 14 or above, however, younger children with email address can easily access and get exposed to objectionable content instantly (Hewitt).

Though the claim is true, but I disagree on the grounds of attributing it only with MySpace. The fact is that it is same with all socializing networks on internet. None of the network uses proper identification of its members, targeting MySpace specifically seems strange. Random incidents of crime and predators targeting kids seem very threatening. However, Hewitt does not inspire authorities to make changes in the model of social networking sites. Rather than attacking MySpace, Hewitt should have suggested some built-in features or some membership requirements that can stop underage membership or even