Virtually everyone has heard of MySpace. With more than 90 million users, it has become the most popular social network on the web. Whether or not you know much about it, you can be assured that your kids do.

Around 20 million teenagers in America have a MySpace site, which they use to meet new friends, connect with old friends, post pictures write online journals- sharing their thoughts for the whole world to see. Million of teenagers spend several hours each day on this site for entertainment and interaction.

The problem that many parents are unaware of is that not everyone on MySpace is a teenager. Yes, many adults are online for legitimate social networking purposes, but untold thousands of them are online predators posing as teenagers. They hope to begin in a relationship that will ultimately lead to sexual encounter. "Time" magazine recently reported that a fourteen- years old girl was raped by nineteen- years old man after he met her on MySpace. The girl's mother is now suing MySpace for $30 million because they did not take proper precautions to protect her child from online predators.

The latest data shows that 71 percent of people with a MySpace site suscribe to "friends" that are really strangers to them. The scary part is that 41 percent of young people respond to an invitation from people they don't know. Your teenager sitting at a computer, talking and sending pictures back and forth may look innocent, but you no idea who is on the other end. Theres no people more vulnerable than ever, making then open prey for cunning and smooth talking predator.

MySpace "pornography" does not help either. even though MySpace tells people that they should not post inappropriate pictures, the indecency and imitation of celebrity crudeness that is on many teen Myspace sites would cause adults to shiver.

What can be done to protect your young person from the peril of an online predator?

Make sure your computer is an open room and intense protection software to block pornography. in addition, ask your kids lots of questions like, who are they talking to? When you look at the list of friends they have on Myspace, you should know all of them. Another more thorough way to protect your kids is to help them to switch to My Battle Plan on www.battlecry.com On this site, they can not only connect with friend, but they can also stablish a plan to grow in thier faith and be held accountable to that plan. Thier networking will not be about the cool trends, but instead revolve around how they are growing in the Lord, setting spiritual goals and encouraging others to make an impact for Christ.