Let me counteract this.

As a kid, and especially as a teenager, in was shy, and incredibly awkward. I absolutely HATED sport – and still do. Art and music were my main passions. I would rather go for a walk through the park than kick a ball around.

I had an absolutely rotten time at school, especially in my teenage years.

I made few friends in real life, although I more than made up for that when I left my small town and went to college and met other people with similar interests and worldviews as my own.

When I grew up there were computers, but, no internet. I just wish the intrnet and the forums I frequent were around then.

I’ve made some good friends online many have turned out to be good real life friends. Admittedly friends that I don’t see in person as much as I’d like, but, then you can’t travel a couple of hundred miles to go for a pint regularly.

My longest standing internet friend (9 years) and I are finally going to meet around 15 months from now.

Having said all that, there ARE things about KidZui that do make me think that this is not a good idea.

Firstly, ANYTHING that, even in the slightest ways is both ’social networking’ and ‘for kids’ WILL attract perverts. Yes, interaction is much more limited here than, say, Facebook or Myspace, but, it still exists.

Secondly, this smacks of ad companies and multinationals getting in there early….grooming children at a young age as possible.

My advice to parents would be :

1. Set up family filters on your computer so that, by accident or design, your child cannot stumble across things that are not age appropriate.

2. Use the Firefox browser and get the Adblock Plus add-on (https://addons....efox/addon/1865).

Many ads are misogynist, misleading, cater to the lowest common denominator…in some cases the adverts are as harmful to a child’s development as internet content that you would not wish your child to see.

3. Find child friendly sites that interest your child and bookmark them.

4. Spend time with your child when they are online…share THEIR likes and tastes with them.

5. Monitor as closely as possible what your child is doing. When they approach their teenage years, this will become much more difficult, but, at an early age this should be done.

First, I’m thankful the folks at KidZui are putting together an environment structured for kids. Our kids’ generation thinks of the Internet the way we think of water and the phone — it’s always been there, can’t remember not having it. So there’s a comfort level with it at a very young age.

There are things that frighten me about it, to be sure. Not the get-your-ass-off-the-couch variety that Gebadia Smith mentions earlier in the thread, because that’s controlled by active parenting. The part that frightens me is the effect that I’ve seen on some people with the mainstream social networks and their constant stream of information (monopolizing their time and thoughts, 24/7). The last thing I want are my kids wondering what’s updated on their “friend feed”. And seriously — 80 videos a week? My kids don’t get that much screen time (computer or TV.)

Nonetheless, kudos (pardon the pun) to KidZui for at least giving it a go in trying to introduce an aspect of communication that’s going to be with us for a long time. Maybe it won’t have to be “forbidden fruit” until they’re teenagers; we all know how those things pan out.

When I was growing up most of my friends were online, since I was socially awkward. But the internet is no longer a friend portal for the socially awkward child. In fact, almost the opposite.

Well….. their brain, genetically, is there. But the technology is the environment. And perhaps TC has opened a topic not fitting for this blog, but I’d rather discuss it here then one dedicated to the topic of ‘kids===internet.”

How do sites like this, TV and video games affect a child’s cognitive development? Does it enhance it or does it hurt it? I remember reading a study that said video games affect the development of the frontal lobe in children which is the part of the brain that represses violent urges.

Sorry I am so active about this question but someday I want to have kids and this stuff is important to learn before hand. How does all this technology affect the development of a child’s brain?

As someone above stated, computer time and real world interaction are not mutually exclusive. I spent hours playing DOS games like bouncing babies and space invaders, plus I played baseball, soccer, did well in school, student council, gosh lots of good stuff.

My children already navigate through certain programs on the Mac. I will introduce them to KidZui. And they go to dance lessons, music class, preschool, beach day, park day, and guess what, they also watch TV. Yo Gabba Gabba!

Word.

Don’t you think it is more important for a child to learn to socialize in person at a young age than in a social network?

Here is the bottom line. Which kid will smile more. The one sitting on a computer alone in their room on a social network or the kid out at the park playing with friends. Which kid would be happier?

I can teach my kids math and school by sitting down with them and working with them. At times yes I would use the computer to show them videos like the harvard cell vid. http://www.stud...jects/6850.html.

However social networks and virtual worlds no. My kids will learn to socialize in person.

I don’t want some fat, unhealthy kid with no people skills. I don’t want some social network raising my kids. In time yes I believe they should learn how to use a social network, but I will teach them how to do that safely.

Not at 5 though. At 5 they will be too tired from paying at the park to have the energy to go online.