Well, I have…and I haven’t. My two elder sons, 22 and 20, both have pages on MySpace and regularly chat with a wide network of friends. Thats’ ok with me, after all, they are both adults. But now my 14 year old son, who has been watching his brothers, also wants in on the action too. He, too, wants to network and chat with people from all over. He wants to upload his photo and enter his details like his brothers have done.

I have said ‘no’. For now that is.

Now, he shares a computer with his 22 year old brother and this PC is within eyeshot of me. It is in the same room as mine and whenever he is on it I keep a watch on what he is looking at. A regular watch at that. He sends and receives emails via one of my addresses so I know who he is communicating with. But should I let him have his own page on MySpace?

Honestly?…I think not. He is just 14. And a young and naive 14 at that. I am neither…young or naive that is. Okay, so I could allow him his page on that site and constantly monitor him but I do not wish to do that. He is only 14. He has plenty of friends at school, real friends at that. As a parent, and a very well informed parent, I know only too well the scum lurking out there on these social networking sites marsquerading as teens…as kids…as friends. Sorry, not with my kid will this happen.

He can have his page on MySpace when he is a bit older. 16 at the very least. And yes, I will still be watching.