Do Kids Need More Privacy Protection on Social Networks?

Oct. 8, 2010— -- Social networks are built to broadcast modern lives to friends and the world at large. So what happens when a kid signs up?

USA Today reports that three out of four parents in a new poll say that social networks aren't doing enough to protect kids' privacy online. Parents aren't the only ones concerned; nearly 80 percent of teens think their friends broadcast too much information online, according to the Common Sense Media poll.

Take the case of Jessi Slaughter, an 11-year-old who posted profanity-laced videos that got the attention of the Web and resulted in cyber bullying and even death threats. Should more have been done to protect her from herself?

Experts say kids aren't always aware of the wide reach of their online behavior.

"There is a tendency to be impulsive and not to always look at possible consequences, plus the sense of invincibility that masks vulnerability beneath," Elaine Leader, executive director of teenlineonline.org, told USA Today.

Our question to you today: Do kids need more privacy protections on social networks?

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