Growing up in the Digital World of Wonder and Peril

My oldest child turns 10 next month. All she wants is a cell phone and Internet access. Not gonna happen this birthday, but someday soon it will.
I thought I had a pretty good understanding of how online communities work.
mmm Since 2004, a friend and I have been running a blog (beenthere.typepad.com), geared toward mothers and we are now building a Web portal for moms called "The Motherhood". My offline and online lives often feel one in the same, and, as my husband can attest, I surf the Web and e-mail all the live long day.
mmm But when I spent some time in Facebook and MySpace, it's obvious I'm in the dark when it comes to teenagers, and pre-teens, on the Internet.
mmm So, knowing I had to figure it out sooner or later, last week I got three teenagers engaged in e-mail conversations about their lives online. Read more...