Kids and technology: Age appropriate guide

Cell phones

It's pretty common to see teens talking and texting on their cell phones, but recent studies suggest that younger kids are also getting cell phones for a variety of reasons.

Whether it's making sure their kids get home safe from school or wanting to keep in touch while away from one another, some parents are opting to get their child a cell phone for those quick calls to check in as well as emergencies that need attention.

If you're thinking about getting a cell phone for your child, but have concerns they may be too young, spend some time thinking about the reasons you're getting the phone and research what types of phones and service options are available for younger kids.

For example, Firefly phones market themselves as the phone for kids, and offer parental control and calling plans including that allow you to pay as you go or monthly and unlimited plans. The parental controls allow for monitoring and restricting incoming and outgoing calls as well as texts. For more information you can visit www.fireflymobile.com.

Kajeet has also gotten recognition for being a tween and teen friendly cell phone service, because of its parental controls which include blocking calls, pictures and text messaging. With Kajeet and WalletManager, you can have your kids help pay for their plan with allowances to help teach responsibility, while at the same time giving them some of the independence their looking for. For the safety parents are looking for, Kajeet offers GPS in addition to its parental control capabilities.

Social networking sites

In order to connect with friends on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, users need to be at least 13 years old. But with difficulty in tracking a user's age, it's important for parents to know what virtual worlds their kids are socializing in, and at what age it's appropriate for them to be there.

If you're going to allow your kids to join a social network, consider how much personal information you want public, and set privacy settings so that only certain people are allowed to see their profiles and interact with them. Limiting the amount of time they spend on sites and protecting them from online predators are all real concerns and boundaries that need to be set before they set up their accounts.

While Facebook and others may have age requirements, other sites are specific to younger audiences and may be more restricted when it comes to be socializing online and include more gaming features. While these sites may seem less threatening to younger audiences, parents should never assume predators are not trying to access kids, and personal information should remain guarded.

Sites like Disney's Club Penguin, WebKinz, Kidswirl, and others offer younger children a taste of what social networking is like, however it's important to teach your children how to interact when not in the virtual world, and make that type of interaction the bulk of how they spend their time.

What's being done to protect kids?

Government has taken an active role in protecting children from pornography and predators online by making companies and websites more accountable for their privacy and content.

Companies such as Microsoft offer these tips for parents on how to protect their kids, including supervising your children with their online activities and amount of time spent in front of the computer, set rules and keep an open line of communication when it comes to the Internet, teach your kids the importance of keeping personal information private, use pop up blockers and parental controls, and monitor what sites your kids visit. For a complete list and more information visit, www.microsoft.com.

Up next: Quick tips to keep kids safe online >>