Social networks and kids: How young is too young?

This article really made me think about the impact technology has on growing up. Socialization is vital to development in childhood. Children have playgroups, participate in sports teams, and join different activities, making a multitude of friends throughout the process. But in today’s tech-crazed world, how about online socialization? The question researchers seem to be asking today is: How much can an online social network actually affect a child? Many parents believe their 7-year-old should not be allowed access to sites such as Facebook or MySpace. They leave children vulnerable to an inappropriate environment. But perhaps these sites have become our social world and it is only right for children to be a part of it. The simple network sites intended for children are no longer sufficient; they do not provide enough ‘networking’ and are basically not “social” enough. Toby Clark, creator of KidSwirl (a kiddy version of Facebook) sums it up by saying, "The reality is that we're a technology-driven generation […] That’s not going to change.” So the next step would be to determine the best way to integrate the youngsters of our generation into social networking. Researchers are stumped now because they cannot determine the long term impact of internet use on children today, as technology is continuously evolving. Where are they to find their control group of non-users for their studies when everybody is on the web?