Life as a Christian Woman

Teenagers are irresistably drawn to social networking sites because they can talk to anyone at anytime about anything. Parents have an innate fear of these same sites because of possible exposure to internet predators, pornography and other inappropriate content. MyPraize.com offers Christian networking that closely monitors the site and provides a safer environment for young people and less worry for parents.

In a recent interview with MyPraize owner Joshua Holmes, he stated the mission for the site: “Give teenagers and young adults a place on the web where they can interact just like bigger soical networks, but without offensive material, and [with] a Christian user base.” The efforts to provide a safer environment include such steps as all user names having to be approved by administrators, any photographs or images uploaded entering a queue and having to be approved before they are viewable, and chat rooms filtered for foul language and most of the time having at least one monitor watching conversations.

While some users view the restrictions of MyPraize as censorship, parents usually view them as necessities. “Blatant attacks against Jesus, God or the Holy Spirit will be deleted immediately,” said Holmes. “When it comes to taboo subjects such as sex, tattoos, piercing, we look for motive.” Genuine curiosity and a desire to learn the biblical approach to subjects are considered opportunities to witness and teach rather than as threats. According to Mr. Holmes, non-Christian users comprise approximately 6.6% of the site’s membership.

A visit to the MyPraize forums will reveal threads covering every topic from how to shave the first time to pleas for prayers and Christian advice. A moderated debate forum explores biblical topics and views on hot-button issues such as homosexuality. As parents, we must accept the fact that our children have to learn about the world and explore how to cope with issues that will inevitably arise in everyday life. The Christian environment of MyPraize ensures that your teenage daughter can learn about which is the best sports bra without another female posting a picture of herself in one to show it off.

In addition to chat rooms and forums, MyPraize also features music from Christian artists. Bands can sign up and upload original music to the site to be accessed by other members. Every song is listened to and approved my moderators before being allowed on the site. Holmes hopes to produce a “MyPraize Record” and sponsor tours in the near future to help these small bands gain recognition while spreading the gospel.

There is a forum on the site that is for adults and Holmes plans to include a special chat room for adults only. If you allow your child to sign up on MyPraize, I encourage you to join also to allow you the opportunity to check it out and keep a watch on what your child is talking about. The MyPraize moderators take every precaution to keep out unwanted users and material, but the basic rules of Internet safety still apply. Know who your child is talking to and what they are talking about. Any complaints made to the administrators are taken very seriously and investigated thoroughly. Holmes’ desire in starting the site in 2005 was to provide a clean site for Christian teens. With over 60,000 members to date, he believes “MyPraize really fits a lot of people and shows that teens and college students are concerned with the filth on larger social network sites.”

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