Social Media for Children: Ensuring Your Child is Safe Online!

While as adults we currently tend to be spoilt for choice with the vast amount of social networking sites available, the Telegraph has reported that there is a new online phenomenon which is specifically for children. Children’s social network sites are already booming in popularity in the US, yet so far the UK has been slow to catch on.  Research from the BBC has revealed that more than a quarter of eight to eleven year olds who are online in the UK have a profile on social networks.  Below are the some of the key concerns for parents to consider before letting their kids loose online.

A new generation and alternative ways of making friends

Children’s lives today are very different from what they were 20 years ago. Social networks provide a way for children to create a social bond and according to Ofcom almost ‘60%’ of children use social networking sites to make friends, compared to just ‘17%’ of adults. Research conducted by Ofcom also indicates that although two thirds of parents say that they set rules for their children when using social networking sites, only ‘53%’ of children indicate this is actually the case.

The Ofcom annual study into children’s media literacy has encouragingly revealed that young web users are becoming increasing savvy with ‘83%’ of children allowing only their friends to see their profile .The study also identified that parents of ‘17%’ of the owners social networking profiles had no idea their children using the sites, yet when parents are aware of the usage ‘93%’ are more likely to monitor their behaviour. Although most social networking sites do set a minimum age of between thirteen and fourteen to create a profile, the rules can be bypassed as the technology is not currently in place to actively verify the age of users. Therefore parents allowing their children to go online without supervision need to be made aware that their children are potentially at risk and their vigilance is important. The offline adage don’t talk to strangers ultimately needs modifying online.

Is the online world affecting your child’s development?

Although these sites are incredibly popular a number of psychologists and neuroscientists believe that they may be doing more harm than good. An article published by the Daily Mail has revealed that top neuroscientists are becoming increasingly concerned over the changes that social networking sites, computer games and instant messaging are causing in the brains of young users. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been said to potentially shorten attention spans, encourage instant gratification and can even make young people more self centered, making very disturbing reading! It is thought that if the young brain is exposed to a world of fast action and reaction online, such rapid interchange might accustom the brain to operate over such timescales.

An additional concern for parents is that teachers are also beginning to complain that many young people lack the ability to communicate or concentrate for lengthily periods when away from their computer screens.  Due to these various concerns many psychologists recommend that children should be kept away from social networking sites and computer games until they are seven, so that children can learn to make real relationships with people rather than being reliant on technology.

So is it Safe?

Although online security is vitally important and I totally agree it is important that parents are made aware of the concerns and closely monitor what their children are doing online, some of the health concerns highlighted do seem to be a bit extreme. In moderation I see that there is no reason children shouldn’t have some fun, interact with children of similar ages, at the same time accumulating some valuable computer skills as the web becomes an increasingly important part of their life. I have selected a few of the safest online sites around for children, so check them out!

Popular and Safe sites for Children:

Moshi Monsters

The online game comprises of similar features that have captivated adults, browser based gaming and social networking. The UK based Moshi Monsters offers children the chance to adopt and care for a pet monster and earn virtual currency called Rox by solving educational puzzles.

When children sign up a parent’s email address is required, in order to gain approval of the account and this also includes a record of their child’s username and password, so they can jump in and watch what’s happening if they have any concerns. Child safety measures in place include swear filtering, real life moderators monitoring behaviour and users playing the game can only visit another user when they know their username.

Boaki

The Observer reports that the brand new online world boaki.co.uk offers children 6 to 12 years old an ongoing, fun and educational online PC adventure game which has been created specifically for them and has their safety as its top priority.

The 3D online environment of Boaki is built around the concept of collaboration. You progress to higher levels when you partner someone in the game. Yet most kids want to chat so Boaki offers an open chat feature only between the hours of 5pm and 8pm. Boaki forbids any sharing of personal information and chat is monitored by a team of moderators who can enter the game at all times and reprimand those who break the rules.

Boaki is free to play, but membership – £3.95 a month or £37.95 a year – gives players greater chance to personalise their virtual character.