Social Networking

The MacArthur Study says that children use online networking to extend the friendships that they already have in their "offline world". While I do agree that many children join social networks for this very reason, I don't think that children are necessarily aware of boundaries and precautions that should be taken online. A child's intention might be to extend their friendships, but often times it ends up being a contest of who has more friends. This leads to the problem of children accepting friend requests from people they may not know, or don't know very well. Children are also not always aware that not only their "friends" can see their information, pictures, etc. I definitely DO think that technology and even social networking sites can be useful for children. I think that it is extremely important, however, to really explain in depth some "rules and guidelines" that should be followed when children are using such sites. I think children also should be informed as to possible dangers and should have a good understanding of what precautions to take when interacting on these social networks.