According to a recent survey on Social Media and Young Adults from Pew Internet, 73% of wired American teens now use social networking websites. Of course, that is for the demographic of thirteen to eighteen, but what about children and tweens? Should they be using social media? Is it safe for them to be on these networks? First Lady Michelle Obama recently weighed in on the topic when she declared her two daughters Malia, twelve, and Sasha, nine, are not allowed to use Facebook.
But what would you say if there was a special social network designed especially for tweens?
Well just last week, in conjunction with its partner i-SAFE, the leader in e-safety education that offers insightful programs around how youths can use the Internet safely and responsibly, Everloop officially launched. The network, according to its blog, is an “online social looping community platform” targeted specifically to tweens ages eight to thirteen. The idea is to support content that is relevant to this audience that is fun, interactive, and, most importantly, educational. It is structured as a series of overlapping mini-social networks called loops, which hone in on specific interests such as reading, math, drawing, and sports. Plus, making it even more in tune with learning, Everloop has plans to be adopted by more than 4,600 school districts and over 56,000 K-8 schools nationwide.
It’s a Social Network. Is It Really Safe?
Built to follow the guidelines set forth by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Everloop allows kids to interact with one another through a private and secure social loop. Users participate in learning groups and school projects with friends, and can also post pictures, share comments, personalize their profiles and more. Everloop will not be collecting information from children under the age of thirteen without parental consent.
The great thing about Everloop is that all activity is monitored. For a child or tween to register, they need a parent to help them. As part of the process, a credit card number is collected for security purposes and used to authenticate the account by verifying the parent’s Social Security number. This means that everyone on the network is a real tween; there are no weirdos or predators lurking in the background. Parents also have the ability to control and monitor their child’s activity. Plus whenever the tween has a new friend, the parents are always alerted.
In a press release, Everloop CEO and Founder Hilary DeCesare stated, “Tweens will now have their own community platform, specifically designed to meet their needs with special attention paid to collaboration tools and superior privacy protection.”
Another of Everloop’s features that parents will love is that moderators will make it impossible for kids to post personally identifiable details, and inappropriate posts and behavior, such a cyberbullying, are prohibited.
To learn more about Everloop, watch this informational video about what the network can offer your Tween:
Do you have children ages eight to thirteen? Will you let them join Everloop? Does this network sound secure or do think there is some catch? We want to hear from you!