Children flock to social networks
BBC NEWS has a piece on children using sites like MySpace and Facebook. More than a quarter of 8-11 year olds have accounts on sites like this, despite the fact that they are below the minimum age. In fact, 49% of those between 8 and 17 have an account!
What does this mean for libraries? Well, we need to be educating both parents and children of the dangers. It doesn't mean that we need to be the police, or that we need to ban these sites on library computers. Please! Not that!
But we do need to provide information for patrons on the dangers, how to handle them, and how to minimize them. Children are so trusting online. It would probably also be helpful to point parents and children toward child-safe models of social networking.
My son (age 11) plays Roblox online, a Lego-like themed world where you create avatars, chat, build worlds, and interact with others. We talk about the dangers, how he can protect himself, and the difference between online friends and real-life friends.
I see programming potential here or at the very least a place where librarians can become expert in guiding families! How about you?