Safe Surfing: Our Picks for 6 Social Networking Sites for Tweens

We hit the information highway to find some of the best social networking sites for tweenagers. We stopped at a few that made the grade for educational interactive fun, and scored major points in the subject of safety, the number one concern of parents.

“People aren’t always who they say they are online, but I didn’t know there were social networks for tweens,” says Ceresa Hayden, mom of two from South Euclid, Ohio.  The sites that made our list employ the savviest technological tools, and even use live moderators to guard against predators, offensive content and bullying.  

The Club: Identified by their NickNames only, tween boys and girls will love chatting in this 3D virtual world while customizing their very own interactive common rooms. And, the "Dream Job" games are among the best features of the site.

JAM: Created by Marlene Wallach, president and owner of Wilhelmina Kids and Teens, JAM is an acronym for Just Ask Marlene, who’ll answer questions from modeling to fitness honestly. You can expect a community where girls gather from all four corners of the globe to be empowered and celebrate all that is unique about them.  They can also test their journalistic skills by becoming a JAM Reporter.

Whyville: Future politicians will enjoy their virtual lives in a cyber world that has its own city hall, senators, town square, newspaper, and suburbia. “Citizens” of Whyville design their own look, earn a living playing educational games from science to economics, and hang out with friends.

FaceChipz: Perfect for building savvy Internet and social skills, both girls and boys will feel grown-up with this invitation-only social networking site. For just a onetime $1 charge to a parent’s credit card, kids interact with their friends, not friends of friends. And, just like popular networking sites, kids upload photos, create profile pages and update their status.

Club Penguin:Live moderators make this site super safe, so you can relax while your tween earns coins to design the best igloos and create snazzy penguin outfits.

AllyKatzz.com and AK Tweens is a great tween-teen girl resource.  AllyKatzz.com is the country’s largest COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) compliant tween reporter and social networking site. The site is 100% monitored and boasts over 100,000 tweenage girl members and plenty of places for girls to share and express themselves.  

When searching for age appropriate sites as your child ages, Aeshia De Vore Branch, Founder and CEO of  T.E.E.N Diaries, advises tapping into your momtourage for suggestions. “Check out the content on the sites that your child is interested in, and see if it aligns with the morals and standards that you want upheld in your home.  And, talk to other moms.  The best referrals come from other moms you can trust.”