ACCORDING TO A RECENT STUDY, 78% OF PARENTS HELPED CREATE THEIR CHILDREN’S FACEBOOK PAGES, AND 7.5 MILLION USERS ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 13. THE WAY YOUR KIDS USE SOCIAL TODAY WILL SHAPE THEIR FUTURE. IT'S TIME FOR EVERYONE TO GET EDUCATED ON HOW--AND HOW NOT--TO LIVE ONLINE.
Kids and social media.
Most people cringe at the thought of these two terms used in the same sentence, and it falls into the same scary category of kids and drugs. Why?
We don’t like what we don’t know or understand. Parents don’t like the thought of their kids embracing social media because they don’t fully understand the benefits and dangers. In many cases, they also don’t understand the social platforms to their full extent. Education is key for the parents as well as the kids. Not to mention teachers! Everyone involved needs to understand the pros and the cons.
As most of us already know, there are clear downsides with kids using social media and this topic has been covered for years. Cyberbullying, privacy, and identity theft are only a few negatives that should be considered. Just as we teach our children how to ride a bike, we need to teach them how to navigate social media and make the right moves that will help them. The physical world is similar to the virtual world in many cases. It’s about being aware. We can prevent many debacles if we’re educated.
So what are the benefits of kids using social media?
This is where parents and educators need to think long term and recognize that kids are building a personal brand from an early age. Their digital footprint will have an impact on their future. Where they end up getting admitted to college, getting a job, and more. Social media will help connect them with like-minded individuals, including mentors, that share similar interests and aspirations that can help them achieve their long-term goals.
Here’s a scenario to consider. A few weeks ago, my team and I had 40 third graders come to the Digital Royalty office. They asked us questions and we asked them questions. When we asked how many of the third graders were either on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, more than half raised their hands. Facebook has a minimum age restriction of 13 years old to create an account. But according to Consumer Reports, last year 78% of parents helped create their children’s Facebook pages and 7.5 million users are under the age of 13 and lied about the age associated with the account.
After getting into a discussion with the third graders, we learned that several of them had abandoned their Facebook accounts because that’s where their parents were. They knew that the adult powers that be are a hop, skip, and a click away from monitoring the kid’s accounts on Facebook. The third-grade solution was to hop from Facebook to Instagram (which, ironically, Facebook also owns). In some cases, kids said they created new, rogue Facebook accounts where they connected with their friends and used their old ones as a decoy for parental supervision.
Admittedly, this is not formal research and not all third graders are using social media. However, if a substantial portion of third graders have embraced this new form of communication, what does that mean for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders? Are they seasoned pros at selfies? (And if you’re unaware of what a selfie is, I rest my case.)
Fast forward 8-10 years and the same children are now graduating from high school, or they’re preparing to, and they’re applying for colleges or jobs. Everything they’ve posted online for the past decade is searchable, and social media only amplifies what already exists, both strengths and weaknesses.
Imagine a college admissions recruiter evaluating two applicants side by side. They both look the same on paper. They shine academically, with impressive transcripts, essays, and SAT scores. Both have an extensive list of extracurricular activities and outstanding recommendation letters.
The difference is Applicant A has a large social following of Twitter followers and Facebook friends which they’ve used proactively to connect with future professors, industry leaders, and executives at companies. They’ve already built a network of people who they are sharing valuable content with, allowing their strengths to shine. You are able to get a genuine understanding of the applicant by seeing how Applicant A engages with their followers and posts about the issues he/she is passionate about.
Applicant B may have a social media presence (what college-age kid doesn’t?), but never took the time to fully develop it and turn it into an asset by having a “neutral” (read: a non-keg-stand) avatar photo, removing inappropriate language, and posting information that spotlights passions and strengths.
As the college admissions recruiter, you can only choose one. Who would you choose? In this case, Applicant A’s wise use of social media gives him/her an edge over an otherwise perfect Applicant B.
Why? Universities want to recruit the students that they believe will best represent the university, both online and offline, while in school and beyond. Students with a robust social media presence and clearly defined personal brand stand to become only more influential. These students are positioned to become leaders in their respective fields, which will reflect positively on the university social communication word of thumb. Additionally, the recruiter has full access to who the applicant associates himself or herself with by who they’re following and engaging with. It’s a sneak (organic) peek into the life of the applicant.
The scenario remains the same for job applicants. When choosing between two similar applicants, hiring managers are increasingly turning to social media outlets to supplement information they are unable to glean from applications or interviews. Many companies use social channels as screening tools. According to a recent study conducted by the Society Of Human Resource Management (SHRM), 77% of employers use social media to recruit candidates. Additionally, they can get a sense of cultural fit within the organization and identify red flags that may include inappropriate posts or even a candidate who is bashing a previous employer.
So now that we know education is key, many parents ask us at Digital Royalty, what’s the first step? Similar to how we begin the education process with executives of brands, sit down with your kids and ask them what they know. Do an informal assessment and study their proficiency. Hop on the computer and mobile phone to evaluate their proficiency and better understand what they know. You might be surprised. Then, after you’ve educated yourself, educate your children.
--Amy Jo Martin is the founder and CEO of Digital Royalty, a social media and education company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and of Digital Royalty University. In 2012 her book Renegades Write the Rules made the New York Times Best Seller list. Follow her on Twitter at @amyjomartin.
COMMENTARY: Over 20,000 kids age 13 and under try to cheat the age limit and sneak into Facebook every day, and it’s easy to see why. What kid wouldn’t want to watch funny videos of their friends, chat with their neighborhood peers or play an addicting game like Farmville? Unfortunately, Facebook and other popular social networks are also filled with adult content, unfiltered comments and potential for cyberbullying, identity theft and child predators.
With this problem in mind, several companies have attempted to create safer alternatives that are essentially “Facebook for kids” –safe social network platforms where kids can be themselves without all the risks. Social networks for kids are built on the balance of entertainment, expression, experience, education and engagement without endangering exposure. Facebook isn’t for kids, but social networking can be.
Social networks for kids are a safe alternative to Facebook because they are built with safety in mind and age-appropriate fun. The best social networks for kids have all the features of traditional social communities (friending, chat, photos, profiles, comments, etc.) but also have more kid-friendly features like games, virtual gifts, contests, art projects and more. Most importantly, kid-friendly social networks are monitored and include parental oversight to make sure everyone is safe.
More than just a digital babysitter, social networks for kids can be a useful teaching tool, helping kids learn about appropriate social network etiquette, safe sharing practices and online citizenship. You and your kids can enjoy social network training wheels while they prepare for the inevitable rite of passage of one day getting a real Facebook page. When they're ready to move on to the real deal, you can still keep in the loop by using Facebook parental controls.
Click on any of the top 10 social networks for kids to learn more about the exciting features and benefits in store for you and your kids. You can find an age-appropriate social network that your kids will love and you can approve of. Your kids will like them better than Facebook, and you’ll rest easy knowing they’re protected.
Togetherville
For the kids: Togetherville is an “online neighborhood” for kids and their parents. The social network includes kid-friendly games, video clips, art projects and more. Kids can customize their own profile page and use pre-written status updates, text message comments and virtual gifts to interact with each other.
Adult supervision: Togetherville works in tandem with Facebook. Parents need to have a Facebook account in order to sign up their kids for Togetherville. Then parents will be able to log in and monitor their kids' Togetherville account directly from Facebook. In fact, your child’s online circle of friends is populated only with people they already know who you approve of through Facebook.
The lowdown on Togetherville: Disney put their trust in this online neighborhood, and so can you.
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What’s What
Kid tested: This kids-only social network is fun, safe and secure. A webcam is required to log in with biometric facial recognition for added account security. Once logged in, kids can customize their MePage, watch videos, play games, take polls and earn MePoints.
Mother approved: Friends are limited to kids within one grade level (unless the parent approves). Kids can share photos, join groups (school class, sports team, etc.), message friends and show off their talents. All photos and videos are moderated, and comments from peers will only display on your child’s wall if they approve to show it.
Our verdict: What’s What is a fun Facebook alternative for kids, complete with face-recognition login.
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ScuttlePad
For the kiddies: ScuttlePad is a new kid-friendly social network for basic status updates, friends, messages and photo sharing.
Supervised safety: The unique safety feature of ScuttlePad is that content in messages, status and comments are kept age-appropriate by only allowing pre-defined words from the special ScuttlePad sentence tool. All photos are reviewed by ScuttlePad staff before they are posted.
Our overall opinion: With fun features and supervised interactions, ScuttlePad is an especially good social network for younger kids.
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giantHello
Hi kids: giantHello is specifically devoted to kid-friendly social games but also includes profile pages, an internal messaging system, photo sharing and fan pages (animals, teen celebrities, games).
Hello parents: Friends are made through email addresses you already know, not from random online invitations. With plenty of games and other fun things to do, giantHello is a fun and safe place for kids to play.
Game on: If your kids are into games, giantHello is the social network for them.
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Skid-e-Kids
Kid-friendly features: Skid-e-Kids is filled with video games and social tools. Kids can socialize, sell or swap toys, watch full-length movies and even get help with homework.
Skid-e-Parents: Parents are always in charge, with special features that allow you to track all activity and monitor friends.
Should you skid? The rules, educational applications and pictures of kids wearing sweater-vests make it pretty clear this one is marketed towards parents; but kids might like it.
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Imbee
Kool kids: Self-billed as a social media mega-platform, Imbee has everything a kid could want in a social network: chat, photos, videos, blog, a “shout” wall, music, groups, avatars, games and celebrity news.
Parent features: Parents have full access to everything done on Imbee and can set age-appropriate parameters and enable or restrict certain features. Everything is constantly being monitored to ensure that Imbee is a safe place to play.
The verdict: Imbee is a trendy and feature-filled social network for tweens.
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Kidswirl
Kids world: Kidswirl is a fun online environment for kids, complete with games, photo albums, quizzes, videos, music and more.
Parental controls: The parent control panel lets you monitor all of your child’s activity and ensure that everything is appropriate.
Should you give it a whirl? While the idea behind Kidswirl is great, it doesn’t have the same finesse or security as the best social networks for kids.
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Everloop
Fun for tweens: Everloop is a “social looping” platform where kids can create custom profile pages, play online games, buy virtual goods and talk about what’s important to them with other kids via email, instant messaging and voice chat.
Keeping parents in the loop: Your kids’ private loop of friends is protected from anonymous intruders, and you can monitor all actions and approve age-appropriate activities.
Is it for me? Everloop is a new social network for kids that proves to be a compelling alternative to Facebook.
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Club Penguin
Kids Club: Disney’s Club Penguin is more of a virtual world and multiplayer game, but it’s hugely popular and does have some social-network inspired features. Kids represent themselves with a penguin avatar and can interact with others through emoticons, chat and social games.
Penguin Parents: Parents can sign up for a parent account to manage their kids' activity, and everything is monitored by adult moderators and “secret agent” veteran players.
Facebook alternative? Club Penguin isn’t a replacement for social networking, but it’s a friendly social community for younger kids to learn safe online interactions.
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Yoursphere
Cool stuff for kids: Yoursphere is a social network for kids that has games, contests and prizes, personalized avatars and access to the private social gaming community ourWorld. The kid-oriented social network lets you ask and answer questions with friends and chat about what you’re interested in. “Spheres” of interest include music, sports, gaming, fashion, art, animals, travel and more.
Parentsphere: Kids under the age of 13 can’t sign up with Yoursphere without parent approval, which also grants you access to a special parent portal where you can monitor everything your child posts (but only what your child posts).
Overall: Yoursphere is a pretty cool place for kids to interact, combining social networking features with a virtual world.
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Courtesy of an article dated May 24, 2013 appearing in Fast Company and an article appearing in 10TopTenReviews
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