Disney has long been known for all sorts of endeavors - movies, TV, theme parks and more - and now it's venturing into the world of social networking. Last week Disney acquired Togetherville, a social networking aimed at kids between the ages of 6 and 10. Marketed as "online neighborhoods for kids and….read more

In honor of the Oscars this Sunday, we're highlighting some recent movies, as well as a film coming out in April, that represent the ever-present impact of social networks today. People of all ages use sites like Facebook, Twitter and others, making the online and social networking world a popular - and also controversial -….read more

Big news this week revealed the results of a study recently published in the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Concerned parents everywhere learned that not only are there thousands of videos on YouTube depicting youths engaged in self-injury and self-mutilation, but also that there are very few restrictions on who can access any one of….read more

With everything from funny articles to clever songs to embarrassing videos posted online these days, many people dream of "going viral." But after posting a YouTube video as a silly prank last week, 21-year-old Evan Emory of Ravenna, MI was arrested and charged with "manufacturing child sexual abusive material." The video shows Emory singing a vulgar and inappropriate….read more

Last week we looked at imbee, a social networking site targeted directly at kids aged 8-14. This week we checked out Everloop, another "Facebook for tweens" for 8 to 13-year-olds. Marketed towards kids as "a place where WE can connect," Everloop promises users "no mean people, no party crashers, and no grown-ups allowed." However, similar to imbee,….read more

Teens and pre-teens everywhere may have a new incentive to be safe and smart online. Yesterday, Facebook announced a new partnership with MTV's "A Thin Line" campaign and none other than teen idol Justin Bieber. This new online safety initiative - called "Draw Your Line" - asks supporters to post an action that combats….read more

A word of warning - teachers need to be extra careful online these days. We've questioned before whether or not students and teachers should friend each other on social networking sites, and by now you've probably heard about Natalie Munroe from Central Bucks East High School….read more

While Facebook has proven to be the most used social networking site, there have been various other initiatives that try to either compete with or re-create the successful social networking tactics of Facebook. MySpace serves as a good example of a Facebook competitor, while "kids only" imbee is an example of a site that's re-creating the Facebook concept.….read more

I often learn a lot from presenting to students at different schools. I get the opportunity to not only work with them but also learn about their favorite online activities, websites and interests. The more I hear about specific sites or activities mentioned, the better I can understand what will be the next big thing.….read more

A report by comScore, Inc. released Tuesday showed that teens are using email less and less and relying more on communication via social networking sites like Facebook. The annual report, The comScore 2010 U.S. Digital Year in Review, addressed key trends in digital and social media emphasizing how to better capitalize on these trends in the following year.….read more