Here Be Dragons: Where Your Kids are on the Internet

My five-year-old recently used some of her carefully hoarded birthday money to buy herself a Webkinz. She generously bought one for her little sister, too. The girls have spent the past week naming, cuddling and grooming this fluffy stuffed critters. They’ve made collars and bracelets and hats for them, all with matching sparkly beads and ribbon.

Luckily for me, I don’t think either girl has realized yet that there’s a Webkinz website where they can extend their play into the Intertubes. It’s only a matter of time, though. Continue reading »

Mommy, Can I Make a Facebook Profile? Please!?!?

Mom and Dad delight in rediscovering old chums.  High-schooler James uses it to make plans, publish goofy photos and check out the hotties who are friends of friends.  But now 10-year-old Abigail wants her own Facebook page.  Should you let her?

Both Facebook and MySpace require users to be thirteen, but…come on.  Site administrators may not know that a portion of their users still have American Girl dolls languishing on their beds and, even if they care, will likely not find out.  Is this a bad thing? Opinions from experts fall all over the map, as CNN found out when it recently raised the question.

Continue reading »

Dropping F-Bombs on Facebook: NSF Kids?

I was pissed, and I needed to let out steam. So I left it in my Facebook status: a big ol’ F-bomb.

And now I’ve got a situation of a possible “un-friending,” from an angry grandmother who thinks the F-word doesn’t belong on Facebook.

WTF? Continue reading »