Customer Reviews

MySpace Unraveled: A Parent's Guide to Teen Social Networking

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This stands out as the best of the MySpace books I've read. It is logically organized and well presented, with color screenshots. The authors present a balanced approach to MySpace, without an alarmist attitude, but with very insightful observations and helpful suggestions, backed by cited research. Their approach is based in the reality of the Web and social networking, addressing the issues one needs to know while guiding the reader through setting up a MySpace account and using MySpace resources.

Sprinkled throughout the book are "Key Parenting Points" which speak directly to parental concerns about MySpace features. Their philosophy on dealing with those parental concerns can be summed up by their statement (on page 12), "There is no substitute for engaged parenting...But that engagement...is less about control than it is about communication." Hence the book is about informing for constructive parenting rather than controlling a teen's access to MySpace.

The writing style is informal and easy. The authors speak as parents and professionals who are actively involved with teens, parents, and the Web. Their experience shows. [...].

Larry Magid and Anne Collier are industry experts on child safety online, and their collaboration here is outstanding. "MySpace Unraveled" explains the social networking phenomenon and the related safety issues in an easy to follow and practical way that is a must read for any parent who has children in today's day and age.

Larry Magid's book is the first excellent source for parents to figure out what their kids are doing on MySpace. It teaches parents how to get their own MySpace account, not to spy on their children, but to see what this world is all about. It has lots of good advice for parents although I wish the author would have spent less time on telling parents how to pimp their MySpace page and more on how to talk to their children about safety and particularly about online friendships. All in all, though, a good, valuable read.