I go around and around with myself on this issue.  I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that my fifteen year old son has a MYSpace page and I'm not a friend!  He has email addresses that I don't know about too.  So, what did I do?  I locked him out of the home computer altogether.  But, I'm sure he has access at his friend's home. 

A recent study says that rather than wasting their time, children who gab on Facebook or play online games are gaining valuable social skills and learning some technology basics.

The report, sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation, contradicts the idea held by many educators, parents and policymakers that children should be blocked from online social networks and video games like Halo, which allow users in different locations to play together. Instead, children should be encouraged to use the technologies to gain a certain level of digital literacy, the study said. 

I remember a couple of years ago when I had a $236.00 charge on my VISA bill that I knew nothing about!  After much research, I found that it was from an online game called Runescape that my son was playing.  He paid my hard earned money for "some powers" or somthing in this game.  I was terribly upset and I have not allowed him to play online games since then.  Maybe if you watch your children more closely, and your VISA cards! 

Mizuko Ito, a research scientist in UC Irvine's department of informatics who led the study, said that children who don't have access to some of today's most popular online diversions risk being social outsiders lacking some of the basic skills necessary to function in the Internet age.

I want my son to be functional in the Internet age and I want him to know all that he can, just like I learn all that I can...what should I do?