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CyberKids: A New Generation Creates Its Online Identity
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Kids are turning to the web more than ever, according to a recent study by market research firm Nielsen/NetRatings. But what are they doing while they're there?
With the explosion of social networking websites like MySpace, there has been a boon in support sites that help teens create their own webpages. Three years ago, kids were reading Teen People online; now they're trolling websites that offer tools to improve their MySpace profiles with song lyrics, pictures, and layout designs, such as PLyrics.com, which ranked No. 1 among teens, who made up 68.4 percent of its unique audience.
"It is not a surprise that teens are actively engaged in social networking sites like MySpace and YouTube," said Ken Cassar, chief analyst, Nielsen/NetRatings. "What is surprising, however, is the extent to which a wide array of supporting Web sites has developed in conjunction with these bigger, more well-known Web destinations. MySpace and YouTube have spawned a vibrant online ecosystem."
Neilsen also reports that children ages 2-11 spent an average of 9 hours and 24 minutes online last month, a 41 percent increase since 2003. Spread out over an entire month, I guess that's not too bad. But what is a 3-year-old doing on the web for nearly 10 hours?
