For Kids, or Not For Kids?: There is always controversy when it comes to kids on Facebook. According to the site’s terms, users must be 13 or older to join the social network; however, reports have shown that at least 7.5 million U.S. Facebook users over the past year were under the age of 13. Over 5 million of these underage users were under the age of 11. To the dismay of many parent organizations, Zuckerberg himself has talked about opening up Facebook to children. To get a little perspective on the issue, those on both sides of the kids-on-FB debate should check out psychologist Larry D. Rosen’s presentation to the American Psychological Association entitled “Poke Me: How Social Networks Can Both Help and Harm Our Kids.” As the title suggests, Rosen looks at both the pros (like raising children’s self-esteem, fostering “virtual empathy” and entrepreneurial skills) and cons (which we are all familiar with: it is distracting or even addictive, can breed narcissism and can inhibit real-life social skills). The Atlantic
Policing Flickr: As the rioting continues in London, police have turned to Flickr to help identify perpetrators (much like people turned to Facebook to post and identify rioters during the recent Vancouver riots). London’s Metropolitan Police’s Flickr photo stream currently shows pictures of 15 suspects they believe have been involved in the riots in hopes that the public can help identify them. TNW
App of the Day: Do you need an ego boost? Do you wish you were someone who draws public adoration? Well, wouldn’t you know? There’s an app for that! Fan Mail is a 99 cent iPhone app that sends you customized messages of encouragement and admiration, like this:
Wow, super creepy. How could anyone feel ok about themselves after using this app? Gawker
Video of the Day: Ok, I’m sorry, I know it’s juvenile, but come on — farts are always funny! Listen carefully for it. Videogum
Blog of the Day: Animals never really look happy when dressed in clothes. Hey, humans, maybe you should stop doing that to them. Sad Etsy Dogs
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