The Perils of MySpace

     Online social networking is an immensely popular method of keeping in contact with friends and family, and MySpace was at the forefront of the business. Over the years it has adapted to keep up with changing trends, and offers a wide variety of multimedia applications such as games and videos. One unique item that MySpace has is the ability of the users to customize their profile page, including graphics, photos and various color schemes. While rival Facebook has currently eclipsed MySpace (MS) in popularity, MS is still used extensively, particularly with musicians from long-established acts to those just starting out. Actors and comedians also have MySpace pages, and everyone can use the bulletin feature to update their “friends” (approved by the user) on upcoming activities, or even to mention that they have posted new photos, blogs, or song playlists. Companies have also begun creating MySpace pages to augment their online advertising.

     Unfortunately, not everything about online social networking has resulted in happy endings. Each individual’s profile includes the user name, age, sex and location – all the information a stalker or other unsavory individual needs to “hunt” someone. Most individual profiles are marked as public, which means anyone who has a MS account can see/read the content (Facebook does not have this option, all individual accounts are private and must be approved by the user for viewing). Some may consider this merely a free dating service, but others take it further.

     Recently, a San Francisco-area musician called “Syko Sam” was arrested for the death of a Virginia teenage girl who sent him several messages on MS. The twenty-year-old rapper was a big fan of “horrorcore” music, which sets violent lyrics to hip-hop music. He posted his own songs to his page, and the girl was apparently quite enamored of Sam, sending him messages such as “You are my one and only everything”. The two made plans to see each other: he flew across the country, attended a concert with her, and then apparently killed her and three others. No motive for the murders has yet been discovered.

     The availability of personal information on MS, combined with a trusting outlook, can become lethal when meeting someone in person for the first time after “speaking” with them online first. There is a high level of anonymity in online communities, and many people create personas for themselves that have little to do with who they really are. Placing so much personal information about yourself online can be dangerous, particularly when the poster is unfamiliar with how devious some people can be, leading to explosive and deadly encounters. When the “Craigslist killer” began his killing spree in April 2009, the online community reeled. Even more disturbing is that MySpace is also adding a classifieds application for their users (which is the only thing Craigslist offers – free classifieds), which opens the door to more crimes being committed. A good rule of thumb is to either not post intense personal data, or simply keep your profile private. Beyond that, try not to be too gullible – if someone seems too good to be true, it is probably because they’re not what they claim to be.

Sources:
Said, Carolyn, "Slain girl on Bay Area rapper's MySpace".  San Francisco Chronicle, September 21, 2009.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/20/MN3M19Q1TP.DTL