Your mother may have locked you out of the house and forced you into some exercise and group social interaction, but today’s kids grow up online. All those cardboard battle forts, princess tea parties, snowball fights, and even first experiences of raising the almighty goldfish, are happening virtually with the help of child social networks.
We’ve seen a wide variety of child social networking sites emerging over the past few years, and each one of them is aimed at giving kids a safe corner of the Web to call their own. They’re opening the doors to communication and allowing children to create brave new worlds where they can live, learn, strive, and play. But what benefits do child social networking sites really bring? What effects will they have on our children as they get older?What should parents be aware of?
Introducing Children to a Safe, Brave New World
Social networks feed children’s desires to be creative and forge their own identities. The sites are attractive in that they offer kids the chance to share information in new ways. They’re enticed to create blog posts, experiment with video, communicate via private messages, and more.
On social sites like Club Penguin, children are given the tools to create cute penguin characters and morph themselves into a new world filled where adventures lie around every bend.They get to live their own personal Jumanji from the comfort of their home without the scary side effects. Children get to role-play and mimic the actions of their older siblings and parents by partaking in activities like starting their own businesses, taking care of pets, playing games, and making new friends.
For more timid children, social networks help them master basic socialization skills and give them safer ways to express themselves. They provide a creative outlet to reach out to kids their own age, on their own terms, and in their own ways. Many sites give children special features that allow them to emote a feeling to another player using nonverbal cues. Making new friends and communicating with existing ones has always been a popular mission for youngsters. Social networking Web sites make it easy for children to do this from the comfort of their own computers and at speeds with which they are comfortable.
Children aren’t the only ones getting excited about the new worlds they’re creating online; parents are equally enthused. For adults, social networks offer a safer, more predictable outlet for their child to explore and learn through.They can watch their child meet and interact with new friends as it all happens. Not only are they instantly alerted to bully situations, but also they are in tune with how their children handle social situations. By monitoring the many educational games to which kids are introduced, parents can get insight into what subjects children may need coaxing or special help in, and also where their children are excelling. Some sites even provide parent reports to help adults get a comprehensive look at how their children are using a particular social networking site.
As a parent, it’s okay to embrace social networking sites with your child. While it’s possible for bullies and questionable adults to make their way onto the site, overall, child social networks have remained a safe haven for children. And they’re even safer when parents are involved and ready to explore the site with them.
What Are The Popular Social Networking Sites For Kids?
With Disney and Nickelodeon getting on board, new child social networking sites are popping up at every turn. Here are some of our favorite social networking sites for kids.
Club Penguin: Described as a “snow-covered, virtual world where children play games and interact with friends”, Club Penguin is owned by Disney and has an estimated 100+ million users, many of whom join at pre-school age.When children enter the site, they create a penguin avatar and then use that persona to play mini games, chat with other members, find special treats, and interact with the other penguins living inside Club Penguin. Kids are also able to take on the extra responsibility of adopting adorable pets called Puffles.
Webkinz: Your child’s Webkinz adventure begins with the purchase of a plush Webkinz or Lil’kinz doll from a local retail store. Each stuffed animal comes with a secret code that allows it to be “adopted” into the Webkinz world where your child will give it a name and decide its gender.Once the adoption is complete, members can create rooms for their pet and earn Kinzcash, the site’s currency of choice, by adopting new pets, playing online games, answering questions, and participating in daily activities.
Neopets: Neopets is an online pet game where children adopt virtual pets living in the town of Neopia.With the exception of feeding pets, there are no rules for how time should be spent while on the site. Children can build homes for their pets, play games, battle other pets, solve puzzles, shop, or create their own businesses in Neopia. As users accumulate points, they can trade them in for clothes, books, additional pets, etc.
MyePets: MyePets.com is another site that gives children the chance to adopt, play with and, nurture their very own pets. Similar to Webkinz, parents must first purchase a MyePets plush toy to receive a special code that will welcome them into the site. Once children become members, they are encouraged to play games to earn credits, which will be used to supply the pets with things like houses, food, and other accessories.The site boasts that at Myepets, children can express themselves while learning about individuality, responsibility, friendship, loyalty, sensitivity, and more.
You can find more in depth information about these, and the other child social networking sites we recommend, by visiting our site guides listed below:
- Barbie Girls Review and Parent Guide
- Bratz Review and Parent Guide
- Build A Bear Review and Parent Guide
- Club Penguin Review and Parent Guide
- Handipoints Review and Parent Guide
- MyePets Review and Parent Guide
- Neopets Review and Parent Guide
- Shining Stars Review and Parent Guide
- WebKinz Review and Parent Guide
What Do Social Networking Sites Teach Kids?
The short answer is: Plenty.
With young children signing on to the Web and into social networks at such young ages, you can bet the next generation will be more social, more collaborative, and maybe even more creative than we’ve ever seen before. Besides just keeping them away from the mind-numbing television, child social networking sites teach youngsters a variety of important life and developmental skills, giving them more confidence both online and in the real world.
What do social networking sites teach kids?
- Responsibility: Social networks give kids the job title they’ve dreaming about their entire short lives – pet owner. Keeping a pet alive is one of the main tasks when children enter Neopia, Myepet or the world of Webkinz. In Webkinz, children must remember to buy food for their animals and are given the responsibility of decorating that animal’s room. To do this, users must earn Kinzcash by playing games in the Webkinz arcade and participating in activities throughout the site. The site teaches children how to manage money, as well as what it takes to be responsible for something other than themselves. In Neopia, children take on jobs and are responsible for completing them. If they don’t remember to feed their pet, they’ll be shown messages that the animal is “famished”, something no Neopets member takes lightly.
- Self-Expression: Using the Internet and social networks provide children with new ways to express themselves and boost their self-esteem. Children who have trouble expressing themselves verbally can now emote through frowns and smiles, and with actions like throwing snowballs, decorating houses, sending hearts, customizing their avatar, etc. The sites also introduce children to new friends their own age – friends with whom they can keep in touch for years to come via emailing and instant messaging.
- Improves Reading/Writing/Problem-Solving Skills: By interacting with social networking sites, children learn socialization skills and are able to work on reading, writing, and problem-solving by participating in the games and experiences presented on each site. For example, Quizzy’s is an age-appropriate trivia game on Webkinz that encourages children to learn and tests their knowledge on different topics. There are other games on the site that help children with basic math, spelling, and reading comprehension skills. Your child may think he’s being a good pet owner by taking on jobs and collecting coins, but what he’s really doing is learning to add, subtract, and to deal with numbers.
- Social skills: For many kids, social networking sites give them their first opportunity to meet and connect with kids their own age from across the globe. Because socializing on the Web isn’t as fast-paced as real-life interactions, kids are given more time to think about a situation before being forced to respond. This gives them a chance to figure out appropriate social greetings or to consult an adult for help. The guided interaction provided on social networks can help children build skills and confidence that will help them become more independent as they mature.
- Computer Skills: There’s no question that a four year old with a Webkinz account is learning valuable computer skills that will help him or her later in life. As children learn to adapt to new technologies and master basic computing skills, they’ll have more confidence in the future when presented with new technology or challenges.
What Should Parents Know?
The majority of child social networking sites are completely safe, but that doesn’t mean you should sit back and let your child interact unmonitored. It’s important to help kids socialize online safely. For most children, using the Internet and relying on Web sites for education and entertainment is an everyday experience. While you may not have had a computer when you were a child, you still play a vital role in helping your child take advantage of the benefits the Web has to offer while helping them to steer clear of the dangers.
When it comes to your child’s Web use, set clear boundaries. Make sure your child knows what information is okay to share and what’s not.It’s okay to share stories about their experiences with the site they’re playing in or to tell friends how old they are, but it’s not okay to give out personal information like their address, full name or phone number. It’s not okay to tell others what school they go to and if the conversation takes a scary turn and makes them feel uncomfortable, they should report it to you.
Almost all of the child social networks include a Parent Guide that parents can read to learn about the site. Club Penguin actually allows parents to create separate Parent Accounts to help monitor kids actions. By exploring these sites right alongside your child, you help enrich their own experience while also learning about areas where you may need to step in and institute some parental controls.
Talk to your child about what they like about social networking sites, who their friends are, and what kinds of things they talk about. Create their profiles with them and explain the potential dangers that can come with talking to strangers. Don’t scare them offline, but explain that social networking sites are like meeting people at the playground or at the grocery story. Most people are nice, but you do have to be careful and use your best instincts.
As is often stated, our kids are living in an Internet world, so it’s important that they learn to use it appropriately. Keep your kids safe on social networks by setting clear boundaries and teaching them how to use the Internet in a safe, fun way. And when it all becomes too much, turn off the computer and kick your kid outside just like your own parents did to you! Child social networking can help kids express themselves and make friends from around the world, but the outside world has its benefits, too. No child should miss out on face-to-face child interaction because his or her Neopet has to eat.
photo credit: MiikaS
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