Interactive Sites Help Children Have Fun and Make Friends Online

When it comes to creating social networks online, teenagers are leading the way. According to a December 2007 report from the Pew Internet Project, 55 percent of online teens have created profiles on social networking sites — such as Windows Live Spaces, Facebook, or MySpace — compared to only 20 percent of online adults.

And that doesn't take into account the other ways kids connect and communicate online — through e-mail, instant messaging, chat rooms, interactive games, and so on.

New Sites Help Young Children Build Social Networks Online

Until recently, younger children were not really part of the social networking phenomenon. That is changing quickly. Today, new interactive Web sites — designed specifically for pre-teens and younger children — combine games, learning activities, and the chance to communicate and build relationships with other kids.

One popular site allows children to create a character, design and furnish a house for their online alter-ego, and live in a virtual town where they can visit museums, mail postcards to other players, perform community service, and much more. At another site, kids adopt and create a home for a virtual pet, making sure their digital animal friend gets plenty of food, exercise, and play time.

Is Social Networking Safe for Young Children?

In addition to being fun for kids, many sites teach math, language, and computer skills while providing a relatively safe environment where children can play, learn and meet new friends. Yet while many children's sites offer exceptional benefits, the Internet is not always a safe playground for kids.

Around any virtual corner, kids may encounter cyberbullies, inappropriate content, or other risks. For example, in a 2006 study of Internet users aged 10 to 17, researchers at the University of New Hampshire found that 42 percent had seen online pornography in the previous 12 months, and one in seven had received unwanted sexual solicitations or approaches in the same period.

As a parent, you want your kids to have a fun and rewarding online experience that is also safe and in line with your values. Here are a few tips that can help you know what to look for in children's sites:

How to Evaluate Children's Web Sites and Help Keep Kids Safe
  • See what the site tells parents. Many children's sites have a section specifically for parents, to explain how the site works and what precautions administrators take to create a safe online environment for your kids. Review it carefully.
  • Read the privacy policy and code of conduct. Reading these two documents will tell you a lot about the site, including what kind of personal information they require from you and your kids and how they use it.
  • Does the site fit your values? Some children's sites have close ties to merchandise that may be advertised or sold on the site. Other sites simply emphasize earning and spending virtual money. While that may teach math skills and budgeting, only you can decide whether the focus on consumerism is in line with your values.
  • Does the site have chat monitors? Many children's sites have real people monitoring chats in real time to make sure everything remains cordial. Some sites also limit kids to pre-scripted chat messages or have a dictionary of forbidden words and numbers that prevent profanity and cyberbullying, and stop children from revealing personal information.
  • Who can use the site? It is the policy of most children's sites to prohibit adults, and many require children to submit a parent's e-mail address. While no site can stop an adult who is determined to masquerade as a child, age restrictions can help to create a safer online environment for children.
  • Can parents monitor and help direct their child's experience? Does the site offer parental controls or require a parent's permission before children can participate in live chats or other site activities that may not be appropriate for some kids? Think about how much involvement you want with your children's online experience.
  • Use technology to help reduce risks. A pop-up blocker can help reduce the chances of kids being exposed accidentally to inappropriate content or ads. Also, the family safety settings in Windows Vista and some other software programs enable you to set limits on the computer games your kids can play and the types of Web content they can view online.

For more information about social networking and how to protect your family, see "How to Stay Safe While Building Your Online Network."