Facebook can be good for kids socially and educationally
admin June 26th, 2009
I have a fantastic article that was brought to my attention by a reader of the blog. You’ll understand when you read the article that although my daughter is a little too young for facebook I “choose to embrace it”.
Facebook can be especially good for shy kids — any child — to help build their social skills. I’ve seen the opportunity for learning and practicing social skills with my daughter. For her, those skills were first learned on MySpace when Facebook was not yet the mainstream.
Facebook creates a “less scary” scenario than talking on the phone or socializing in person. For example, the chat feature gives your child time to think when talking and expressing. Chatting is similar to a phone call, yet you have the time to pause and think about what you want to say. Phone calls can be awkward, with running out of things to say and dead air, and meeting in person can make you nervous for the same reasons.
Having some successful social interactions on Facebook could increase your child’s confidence when socializing in person. It’s a way to introduce new social skills in a gradual manner.
Today Omamas features a guest post from Marjie Braun Knudsen, a Beaverton writer focused on issues relating to children and teens. She is co-author, with Jenne R. Henderson, of “BRAVE: Be Ready and Victory’s Easy, A Story About Social Anxiety.”
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