I recently received an email from George Zaloom, the creator of FaceChipz, a new privacy-focused online social networking site for children ages 8-12. If you have a child under the age of 13 who is already interested in the world of online social networking, this "pogs meets webkins" social network may be worth your time.
FaceChipz is like Facebook on privacy-steroids. For starters, kids can only become friends with people who they actually know from the "real world." How does this work? Why, the "chipz," of course -- also called "FaceChipz Tokens." They're colorful little poker chips with unique codes printed on them that your kids trade with their friends. The token exchange ensures that only real-world friendships are extended into the online world; each token is good for exactly one friend.
There are a ton of other measures taken to ensure privacy as well, such as parental verification when the account is created, customizable parental controls, and strict screening for "inappropriate material." They even offer their own version of the Facebook House Rules Worksheet that we included in The Smart Parent’s Guide to Facebook, to help create an atmosphere of openness and responsibility about social networking right from the get-go.
FaceChipz isn’t free, but it’s not too expensive either. There is a $1 credit card charge made when an account is created for parental verification. Oh, and the tokens cost money too -- about a dollar or two each. This could really add up if your child wants to create a huge network of friends online. This may, however, offer a good incentive for your kids to limit online friendships to the people they really care about. The cost also enables the social network to be ad-free, another plus for privacy.
I, for one, am really excited about FaceChipz. One of the most common questions that we receive from concerned parents about Facebook is "when is my child old enough to create an account?" Because you have to be 13-years-old to create a Facebook account without lying, this creates a dilemma: some parents feel that their kids are ready before 13, but must approve of online-deceit to open the account. FaceChipz apparently is trying to remedy this problem and fill the current social networking void for online pre-teens.
We'll be watching FaceChipz and keep you updated as the social networking site matures. Until then, we'd love to hear from any parents who have tried the service and can comment on it!
0 comments