Teach Me and Trust Me: Creating an Empowered Online Community of Tweens and Parents

Although research has shown increasing potential for new media literacy and identity development through the use of social networking tools, there are limited opportunities for young people under age thirteen to legally take part in these environments. We challenge the dominant narrative that young people under thirteen need constant adult surveillance and are incapable of practicing safe online practices. Instead, we present a potential solution through the design of a safe, virtual learning space for tweens that integrates community-based rules and moderation. In partnership with the National Park Service, which is committed to having their virtual learning space accessible to all ages, we collaborate with a group of tweens and their parents by using bonded inquiry and focus group methods. We collate the needs, concerns, and online practices of these tweens and their parents to develop a preliminary design of a cyber-safety framework that learning institutions can employ to allow tween participation. By focusing on building a resilient online community of tweens, parents, and site developers, the framework emphasizes the value of an online environment that balances freedom and protection of tween privacy.