Aha Blog #3: Safe Technology for Kids

Sometimes I scan the internet for new types of applications or technology that are on the market today. While researching social networks I came upon this article on the Today Show's website that I found interesting (Family-friendly social networks take aim at Facebook). The article mentioned two new social networks called: Neer and Everloop. They both offer privacy and are pre-teen friendly, which is very important today. I knew nothing about either program, so I decided to dig in a little deeper.

Neer (www.neerlife.com) works as an application for phones that lets you share information about where you are located. You are able to easily adjust which of your contacts see what you are doing. Though its not intended for use of ages 13 and below, this program can work well with parents trying to keep tabs on their children through the program’s updates. While Neer compares more to Twitter than Facebook, its GPS qualities can give parents reassurance about their children’s safety.

http://usassets3.feedmyapp.com/images/thumbnail/www/www.neerlife.com.jpg?1287401444

Everloop (www.everloop.com) compares more with Facebook. It is an interactive social looping site for pre-teens between 8 and 13. It incorporates collaborative learning options for school projects, email, IM, chat and voice chat, video uploading, games, and Goobs (or pranks).

http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/110222-Tecca-Everloop-hmed-911a.grid-6x2.JPG

Kids are able to customize their own pages in a safe environment. Parents are notified when a child tries to expand their loop of friends and can monitor their site via a parental console page. Safety is definitely a priority. Everloop’s terms of use note that if a user is suspected of lying about their age or have questionable content on their page, they will be deleted from the system.

Example Everloop Page from: http://www.kidsciencechallenge.com/html/everloop.php

It is good to see that these companies are taking safety seriously when working with kids and teens. I think its very important to encourage this type of technology use so that kids can create and share in a safe environment with their peers. Click on the links to view more for yourself!