To many parents, Web sites like My Space and Facebook are a threat, a door open to the outside world that lets strangers into homes. But the benefits of online interaction may far outweigh the risks.

A commentary in this month’s Journal of Adolescent Research notes that networking sites provide teens with opportunities to develop social and communication skills and to bridge racial and ethnic divides. These benefits often are overlooked by parents worried that adult predators are lurking online.

“We may do adolescents a disservice when we curtail their participation in these spaces, because the educational and psychosocial benefits of this type of communication can far outweigh the potential dangers,” writes Brandesha Tynes, an educational psychologist at the University of Illinois who authored the commentary.

In her article “Internet Safety Gone Wild?,” Dr. Tynes suggests some parents may be going overboard. While teens need to be warned about “digital dangers” like adult predators, parents also need to consider the benefits of spending time in online settings, she argues. These sites provide a chance to augment critical thinking and argumentation skills, she says. Online, kids find support from peer groups, get help with homework and talk about sensitive issues they might be too embarrassed or afraid to discuss face-to-face.

Discussions of race and ethnicity are common online, Dr. Tynes adds. In one study of open-topic chat rooms, race was mentioned in 38 of 39 discussions. At a time when schools are increasingly segregated, Dr. Tynes says educators may want to encourage online interactions as a substitute for racial interactions that no longer occur in classrooms or hallways.

Tech-savvy teens already are aware that online socializing can generate unwelcome advances in cyberspace, she says. Parents should talk to kids about privacy settings and how to deal with unwanted attention online.

While online social groups shouldn’t replace real-world socializing, Dr. Tynes claims that parents need to rethink its value. The Internet may sometimes be a better way for teens to prepare for the adult social world, because they can do it “in the safety of their own homes.”