Uno de Waal

Uno de Waal’s online space covering everything about web2.0, social networks and internet related developments in South Africa and how it fits in with the rest of the world.

Kid socialnetworks sux0rz

Uno as Online, Web2.0

Apr|19|2007

Over at Quirk they recently blogged about a social network for kids called ClubPenguin.

As more and more horror stories surface about children being exposed to unsuitable content on the Internet, parents are finding themselves in two minds as to the extent to which they let their kids access such an indispensable – yet treacherous - tool.

I have a problem with this. I mean, with kids Social Networks. Why? As the first commentor of the Imbee network says:

do you know why this wont work? Its not cool enough, what kid is gonna let there parents decide what goes on there page? Why wasnt that thought of before 6mil of funding!

And that is my though process as well. Social Networks that your parents monitor just ain’t cool man.

Secondly, seeing Myspace as The Predator is also a misunderstanding of the internet. It is not Myspace’s perogative te keep perps away from your child. It is you who is responsible. Stop shifting the blame.

Danah Boyd blogged about it a while ago. And a similar article here. Another judge tends to think the same, which was the original reason for the articles.

Here is a list of similar sites, according to Mashable:

Famster


Imbee


Habbo

And some other tools:

IMsafer

Myspace Gaurdian

ClubPenguin has a massive userbase, about 4 million apparently. But how many of those kids also have a Myspace profile where they are 21Hot4U. Still, from an e-marketers view it would make sense to advertise on the site (which would be where the thinking behind the original Quirk post would be)

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2 Responses

  1. Alice Gnodde

    25|Apr|2007

    Fair game, it probably doesn’t have the longevity. But Club Penguin is popular with kids at the moment. On top of which, there is a certain amount of responsibility that a website has, even if it is a moral responsibility, just as liquor stores have a responsibility not to sell liquor to people underage.

  2. Uno

    25|Apr|2007

    Hey Alice,
    thanks for dropping by. I think it probably would last, but only as long as other startups don’t eat into their market share. Disney has recently started a social network, but it hasn’t been receiving good press. If Cartoon Network were to get their act together they could potentially wipe any other kind of kids social network out, IMO.

    I’m not sure about the moral responsibility part… that’s a tricky bit that is not as easily enforcable online as it is in traditional brick and mortar business.


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