Talking to your children, even your adult children, about the dangers of posting personal information on the Internet is a must.

Social-networking sites, like the extremely popular www.MySpace.com, can be a fun way to interact with friends and family. But most members don't realize they could be exposing themselves to dangerous people.

MySpace claims millions of members. It's easy to use, and anyone 14 and older can join for free. It's particularly popular with those in their early teens to late 20s. Because of its size, problems with pedophiles and lack of controls, it has developed a negative reputation.

So, let's look at MySpace. All it takes to join is a valid e-mail address. There is no verification of a person's age. Once you sign up, you can customize your profile page.

Profile pages typically contain personal information. Songs, pictures, comments and friends' comments often are included.

There is a section to list friends who are also on MySpace. You can point MySpace to your AOL, Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo address book to see if anyone you know has registered. MySpace will list any members in your address book.

From that list you can send a friend request. The member receiving the friend request must approve it in order to be linked as friends. But you also can find new friends by searching MySpace's database for people with similar interests.

The member search function offers a quick way to locate registered users based on information in the profiles. You can search by gender, age, marital status, location, ethnicity, body type, height, education, orientation, religion, income and even preference to having children. Obviously, this has great potential for someone seeking 15-year-old children.

A random search is an eye-opener for most parents. Underage members post pictures of themselves with friends drinking beer. Others write about their experiences with drugs. Frank and sexually explicit comments appear on friends' profile pages.

If you have teenagers, they may well have MySpace pages. Ask to see them. Objectionable pictures or comments can be removed. If your child is under 14, have the profile removed. Click the contact link at the bottom of the MySpace page. Complete the form and include your child's URL.

Your children must understand that anyone can see the information they post. Many youngsters do not understand this. According to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, each week an average of 50 children fall prey to online predators.

Young adults also make mistakes on these sites. I know of a case in which an employer checked job applicants on a Web site. He hired a person at a lower salary than he expected to pay. Why? She was the picture of confidence in her interview. But, on her page, she said she desperately needed the job.

The Web is a great communications device. MySpace and other sites like it can be a fun experience. But remind your children that what gets posted on the Internet has consequences.

Contact Kim Komando at gnstech@gns.gannett.com.