Top+8+is+Great

= April 21, 2010 MYSPACE CLIQUES IN HIGH SCHOOL WRITING CENTER NEWS =
 * VOL 1 ISSUE #39 ** ** EARTH DAY **

==== This morning in Central Philadelphia High School a 16 year old girls feelings were hurt very badly after learning she had fallen off her friends Top 8. Students and teachers were shocked about her reaction. The "Top 8" application from Myspace causes lots of teenage girls to suffer from not being accepted. ====

According to the journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, "We have to take gender into account when studying clique
====membership and clique isolation... prior findings indicate that girls are more often members of a clique and place greater importance on clique membership than boys... behavioral problems may be observed especially among girls who are outside cliques, and particularly characterize girls who become estranged from cliques." ====

==== High school officer Frank Dannahey talks about the subject, "And I look at some of the kids on it, and in our high school these aren't the popular kids, these aren't the kids that get the attention. You can go online and create a totally different persona and immediately get 500 friends." ====

==== But the effects aren't just seen in girls. Boys are affected by the Top 8 application as well. One boy was hospitalized in Connecticut after Myspace rumors led to a physcial fight. Witnesses say that the website is to blame, and the children would have been friends otherwise. Parents living in the area are concerned with the influence that Myspace has on their children. As a result of this altercation, the parents will be offered a free internet safety seminar every fifth day of the month dealing with current issues. Parents will be instructed to log onto computers and use Myspace to become further educated about the internet site. ==== Myspace has been working hard to fix the problem by providing users with different layouts. For example, you can turn your top 8, into a top 10, 20, or 40. If you're still concerned about the application, users can omit the application entirely. These are some ways that Myspace is being proactive about the website that they provide to young children.

The Central Philadelphia High School is offering female students counseling. If you need help please call at 215-222-2130. Teenagers are the largest users of Myspace. They use it to make friends. But we also have to think about how to preotect them from the dangers of social networks. Reporting from Central Philadelphia Bo, Steve, and Val.

Are you concerned about your children's Myspace use? Here are some tips to reduce Myspace stress


 * Delete anyone who is spreading rumors, or false information
 * Delete anyone who is sending you threatening messages, or emails
 * Delete anyone who is harassing, or threatening you in your network
 * Delete anyone who is pressuring you to hand out any private information

__Works Cited__

1) Gordon, J. (2006, February 26). Myspace Draws a Questionable Crowd. //New York Times// pg CT1. Retreived April 21st 2010 from ProQuest Historical Newspapers Database

2) Witvliet, Miranda. Van Lier A. C. Pol. Cuijpers. Pim. (2010). Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. Change and Stabilioty in Childhood Clique Membership, Isolation From Cliques, and Associated Child Characteristics, vol 39 (Issue 1), Pg 12-24