Imbee Gets OK from Web Wise Kids

Imbee, the social-networking site designed for 8 to 14 year olds, has a seal of approval from Web Wise Kids, an Internet safety group that teaches kids online safety through computer games based on real criminal cases.

As Robin wrote in this post when imbee launched, it provides a safe place for kids to try out social networking—only with friends they know—while designing creative pages and writing their first blogs. There is no way to search profiles on this site, so kids only talk to kids they know and invite. They need a parents' approval and credit card to sign up, and parents can opt to view their children's sites and messages to friends, or not.

The partnership between Web Wise Kids and imbee announced Friday signals high marks for creating a safe entry and learning ground for kids who want to see what social networking is all about. But I'm wondering how many kids are finding their way there. Fourteen year olds who are already spending time socializing and actualizing online are probably not going to want to switch to a parent-sanctioned site with limits.

I'm not in a rush to recommend social networking to my 9 year old. If she were to come to me asking to join a site, then maybe I'd recommend a site such as imbee. (Remember, most social networking sites don't allow kids under the age of 14 to register.)

But at her age, I think the occasional email and IM message to a handful of friends is more than enough social networking. She does a lot of in-person networking, better known as playing among her set. She's really good at working the phones to find a friend to play with, and right now, that's just fine by me.

What do you think? Are your tweens on imbee or Club Penguin, or are you holding them back from the online social network scene, no matter how secure a site seems?