Today's kids were born in the age of technology. They are Internet natives. Preventing them from using social networking will ostracize them from their peers, and will not help them develop the skills they will need throughout their lives.
I was there as my daughter took her first real life steps and her first virtual steps...when she was scammed out of a precious item on a game, it was the equivalent of her first skinned knee in RL. She learned not to *lend* her items to people she did not know well, in the game, only fair trades please!
When she was bullied, to the point of tears, by another player, on her own Nintendo 3DS system, I was there beside her, with the tissues, as she learned to report, and block.
I have helped my daughter, as she grows up in both the real world and the virtual one. She needs the skills to navigate both, because as an adult, both will be very important in her life. I parent her the same in both realities.
I monitor, but I do not heicopter. I know her friend list by heart. When I see a new name, I ask," hey, I see you have added Jellybeanhead! Cute name! Where did you meet?"
"Oh she's from spain. She commented on my cartoon music video on you tube, and she's really funny!
We watch her videos together. I read the comments, and we talk about them.
Later on, I sleuth Jellybean head as per her communication with my child, and if nothing alarms me, jelly is added to my mental *ok* list.
I have seen my girl grow tremendously and I love her style!
Once a younger child made her first cartoon YouTube video and the child wrote , "I hope you all like my first video, I know I need to fix some things lol",and my daughter was the first to comment;
"It does need work, but I really appreciate you taking the time to try and make us all smile, so thank you!!"
The Internet is a fantastic wonderful place, where kids can travel the world, learning about other cultures, languages, or just meet up with their friends to hang out, creating stories, music, cartoons, videos. It is not Dantes Seven Circles.
I want to raise my child to be comfortable in her duel citizenship, she can be as safe online, as she is offline, it takes the same parenting skills, it's just the format that's different.