A Social Network For Kids

Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

Kids under 13 aren't allowed on Facebook, but that hasn't stopped many of them from joining.

Togetherville, a social network for kids ages 6 to 10, hopes to lure them into a more age-appropriate setting. The site, whose founder has three children under 10, launches Tuesday night.

It's free to join, and kids' accounts must be created by their parents using their own Facebook logins. Parents can approve or reject their children's friends and see what types of activities or games their kids are up to.

"The adults participate directly," said CEO and co-founder Mandeep Dhillon, whose kids are 8, 5 and 2. "Which is why this is not a digital babysitter."

Kids have separate logins to Togetherville, and the site looks different depending on whether a parent or a child is logged in. For kids, there are games, pre-screened YouTube videos and other activities, such as educational applications, but no ads.

There are even Facebook-style status updates, called "quips," with a twist: kids choose from a preselected menu of updates, which change daily. Dhillon says that's because when given a blank space to type in, kids tend to either write gibberish or get stumped by to say. But if they want to, they can send in their own "quips" for approval.

Larry Magid on "Togetherville"

Parents can send their kids virtual gifts, review their activities on the site or look at virtual art they've created. Togetherville plans to make money by selling virtual goodies for its games.

The site taps into a growing trend of tech-savvy parents interacting with their kids online. Stephen Balkam, CEO of the Washington DC-based noprofit Family Online Safety Institute, said he hopes Togetherville will get parents to remove their young children from Facebook, calling it a "much safer environment."

Though they are prohibited by the sites from joining, many of kids under 13 are already on MySpace and Facebook. They lie about their age, or get their parents to do so, Balkam said.

[bobnjersey]

[Do 6-year-olds Need A Social Network?]

does anyone really 'need' one?

[displeased]

Great idea! Let's get these kids addicted to social networking at an early age. I read the results of a study done at Ohio State that claims the GPA for students without Facebook accounts averaged between 3.5 and 4.0. GPA for students with Facebook accounts averaged between 3.0 and 3.5. Obviously, Facebook will be a great incentive for kids to productively use their time with learning and exercising.

Like mitdgreenb said, go outside and play! Don't people have non-cyber friends anymore?

[howbizarre]

Good grief - I hope that study was wrong. If what you report is correct I'd say there's a LOT of grade inflation at Ohio State (or whereever the study subjects came from). Assuming 2/3 have facebook accounts and 1/3 don't, that would mean the average GPA is around a 3.25. So 'A-/B+' is the new average?

[mitdgreenb]

What ever happened to "Go outside and play?" Kids already get way too much screen time and way too little physical activity.

[bobnjersey]

[What ever happened to "Go outside and play?" Kids already get way too much screen time and way too little physical activity. ]

they'll be moving their index finger a fraction of an inch repeatedly up and down. this is sure to burn an couple of calories an hour easily.

[howiepolley]

This is exploitation of children. The only way to avoid this website from being shut down is if the social networks owners were to use a social network for kids as a place to educate children about internet dangers, educate children about the vulnerabilities of social networking and too educate children about the advantages and disadvantages of digital communication. But it seems like these social networks owners are just conditioning children to become Internet addicts while at the same time exploiting kids information and habits to make money and to spy on children. It seems that the only way for children to be educated is if parents start educating themselves, because the facts are that no one is going to teach your children for you.