Between work and school, I have more online time than I have ever had. And because of the time I spend online, I have discovered a few things.

The one that disturbs me the most is one that has potential for serious tragedy in our small community.

See, I cruise MySpace every once in awhile. Though I loathe the site in general, too many of my friends are on it for me to ignore it completely. What concerns me, though, is that I routinely come across 13 or 14 year olds whose profiles list them as being 18.

Now, I'm sure I know why they registered that way. Because MySpace is trying to crack down on its reputation as a shopping place for pedophiles. But because they're listed as 18, they are potentially getting into things that they are not ready for. A world where some of the people viewing their sites may be less than honorable.

Yes, I know that teenagers have always done some things that haven't always been right. Yes, I know that rebellion is pretty much a timeless trait. But past generations haven't had to contend with their young teenagers being exposed to such a wide audience of people who would taken advantage of them. They may have sowed their wild oats, but it wasn't in front of an audience of millions, where their chances of meeting a pervert are exponentially increased.

It's very easy to fall into the "It's not MY child" syndrome. But from the pages I have seen, and some of the things I have seen written ON them, it just MAY be your child. I doubt most of these childrens' parents are remotely aware of what's on these sites, or the danger they pose.

And I hope, and pray they do not find out the hard way.