Friends, Fun and Fads

Staying Internet Savvy

By Kelly Burgess

Syndicated technology columnist Larry Magid wants parents to start networking just as their kids do. This may not mean getting your own MySpace (although that might be fun), but he does think that the best way for parents to keep their kids safe is to understand the online community themselves. That means keeping up with trends and understanding just what it is that the kids can do and are doing.

Magid, who is the founder of BlogSafety.com, says kids have so many options these days for going online that merely monitoring them at home is not sufficient. "Nowadays, kids go online at school, at the library, at friends' houses and via their cell phone," he says. "The dialogue between parents and children has to go beyond putting computer restrictions in the home. Parents have to be aware of what their kids are doing."

Just as adults and teenagers listen to very different music, they use the Internet differently. Anne Collier, executive director and editor of Net Family News, says for teens it's all about staying in touch with their friends and making new friends.

"For kids it's all about social networking," says Collier. "They don't care as much about services and other things we use the Internet for. And their tools for social networking are multiplying, with IM on their mobile phones now along with text messaging. This is a very superficial form of communication, but it does allow them to set up meetings and make dates and just keep in touch."

This social networking aspect is reflected in the latest Nielsen/NetRatings, which show that the top 10 social-networking sites now reach 45 percent of active Web users. The figures weren't broken down by age; if they were, it's certain that number would be much higher for teenagers.

Want to see more?

• Internet Safety: Protect Your Children from the Internet's Seamy Side
• Logging on to Danger? Internet Safety for Teens
• Internet Strangers: The Real Dangers to Kids Online and How to Avoid Them
• Talk about it!