MYSPACE FOR MOMS AND DADS

review by

Larry Shallenberger

MYSPACE FOR MOMS AND DADS

by Connie Neal

(Zondervan)

Reader Appeal: Parents

Genre: Christian Life / Family

Perhaps it’s inconceivable only to me, but, somehow, I’ve found myself the parent of a teenager this past year. And right on cue, my son is asking for all of the adolescent accessories—email accounts, a cell phone, and a TV and Internet access in his bedroom. A teen should come with a Surgeon General’s Warning. “Caution: Raising a teen may result in sleepless nights and increased anxiety levels.”

If, like me, you’re the parent of a teen, then you owe it to yourself to meet Connie Neal. Neal is an author and speaker who specialty is understanding “the intersection of parenting and pop culture.” Ms. Neal is the deep breath that every parent needs to take before hyperventilating over all the challenges of raising godly children in the American culture.

Connie’s latest book, MySpace for Moms and Dads, is designed to help busy parents understand the Internet phenomena known as social networking. “Social Networking” is using home computers and the Internet to connect with peers and to make new friendships. Some of the more popular social networking websites include MySpace.com and Facebook.com. Parents might be aware of - and wary of - social networking due to the rash recent news stories that detail how sexual predators have used MySpace to connect with unsuspecting teens and lure them into face-to-face meetings. 

In the face of these legitimate safety concerns, Connie Neal uses her calming logic and sanity to help parents and to give us the tools we need to navigate this brave new world of social networking. SHe defuses the emotional charge surrounding social networking with her methodical organization of the book:

Part One explains what the history of social networking and how it became the phenomenon it is today.

Part Two walks us parents through the mechanics of setting up a “MySpace” account.

In Part Three, Ms. Neal explains the draw of MySpace on teenagers and reminds us that teens use social networking to meet God-given developmental needs. She then helps us connect with our teens’ by reminding of their basic relational needs to connect and to express themselves. Finally, She offers a Christian framework to help Christian parents decide if MySpace is appropriate for their teens.

One of the most valuable features of MySpace for Moms and Dads is a section that clearly and easily shows parents how to customize the MySpace profile to reduce the risk of teens encountering unsafe people or online “friends” with unchristian values. Parents will also be equipped with the proper questions to ask their teens to help monitor their healthy use of MySpace.

Readers familiar with Connie Neal’s writing know that she is biased toward engaging culture and for using cultural trends to train discerning teenagers. Ms. Neal’s Walking Talk in Babylon is her manifesto calling parents to train children capable of interpreting and discerning the cultural messages that surround them. Don’t expect to hear a simplistic “MySpace is good” or “MySpace is evil” from this author. Instead, she’ll give you the information you’ll need to engage your teenager regarding this important issue - and that's something that we at FAMILYFANS.com want to encourage.

After reading MySpace for Mom's and Dads, I’m not ready to give my teen permission to join for now. However, this will be a valuable guide to refer to when my oldest is a bit older and wiser.

FAMILYFANS RATING: A

Note: You can connect with Connie Neal on Myspace at www.myspace.com/momsanddads