Kids Connecting
I came across a guest post on the SocialMediaMom blog by Jonathon Fields - talking about how his daughter’s interest in Twitter inspired him to ponder “what if there were a secret internet for kids?”
He writes:
“The whole experience makes me wonder how powerful it might be to have a twitter that was devoted exclusively to fostering conversation among kids around the world in a safe, monitored environment.
Imagine the impact.
Millions of kids, forming impressions, bonds and experiences not through information filtered and colored by the grown-ups who provide access, but rather by their own, direct experience. Imagine them simply having the ability to invite friends from all over the world to hang out and chat. To ask questions about life, relationships, values or even simple daily activities.
To me, if there is a killer application for social media, it doesn’t lie in the realm of grown-ups. It’s not about business or marketing or content-sharing. It’s in the opportunity to allow kids from radically different cultures around the world to connect, to form their own opinions and break down barriers that have created artificial separations for decades or even centuries.
How different, I wonder, might the next generation be if we could foster such an experience?”
That’s some pretty powerful stuff to imagine, isn’t it? It’s easy to poke holes in the idea – like how would make sure only kids can sign up (not predators pretending to be nine years old!), or how would we make sure they weren’t bullying each other and the experiences were positive?
But I’m more interested in how we COULD make this work?
Could we learn something from Zoey’s Room? They’ve figured out a process of verifying who you are (which is why only American’s can sign up there – they don’t have access to the same verification methods for Canadians, so we’re just not allowed).
Or what about the amazing work that NotSchool.net has done? They’ve found ways of empowering the teenagers – including them in hiring of staff and much more!
What would you do to create a safe, open environment for kids to share and learn?
What would ‘I’ do to create a safe, open environment for kids to share and learn?
I’d get parents (and teachers & concerned adults) online with their kids. Even if a kid-only internet existed, the real internet still won’t go away and kids will need to learn how to navigate it safely.
Do you let a 7 year old play in a park out of sight from you, or do you keep them within your sight? Do you ask your 14 year-old where they are going, who they are with, etc.? Do you meet the parents of your child’s friend before a sleepover? Well then you should know where they visit online too. Your kid should know that you have a right, and a responsibility, to know what they do online.
…and as they get older?
We trust a 16yr old with a car, but protect them from the ‘grown-up’ internet? Hmmm… That said, when a kid learns to drive we have graduated licenses with more restrictions early on… that sounds like a good plan with the internet too.
Hi Dave,
I agree – the safety aspect can be addressed by active parenting.
Now what about creating an environment where kids will engage with each other? How do we get them interested in connecting & learning about each other?
What if we got schools from all over the world to connect with the purpose of learning about each other? Could we get teachers to use such a site for a class assignment? What would that look like?
I’m thinking about something like the “penpal” projects we used to do in elementary school. I had a penpal in England. We would tell each other stories, ask questions, talk about our families, etc…
How do we use technology and social media ideas to remove the limitation of pen & paper, snail mail, etc…? What if they could be more interactive – commenting on each others’ blogs or poems? What if they could post their artwork or photography? What if they could search for other kids with the same interests? Or what if they could browse through profiles of kids that are quite different than themselves – perhaps in a very different part of the world, different culture, different beliefs.
Kids connecting, learning about each other, learning to appreciate differences, getting curious about how other people live or what other people think.
I think it could be really powerful!
Thanks for stopping by!!
Heidi
Thought you would be interested in Edmodo:
http://mashable.com/2008/09/18/edmodo/
What I find even more exciting is diigo educator account:
http://help.diigo.com/Diigo_Educator_Account
Cheers:-)
Thanks Dave – I’ll check them out.
I also had a look at epals & that looks pretty interesting as well.
H
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