so i unearthed a new trend today. can facebook help?

Image by .Andy Chang. via Flickr

i am currently doing my diploma in business and i was in the strategic marketing class of 09 talking about target markets, segments, and trends today.

the example we were discussing was around the 9 year old v the 12 year old.
what do they want?

i have this almost exact scenario at home ie the 10 year old with the 15 year old, so i related well.

we summed up that kids today still want what kids 50 years ago wanted - ie the latest and greatest in "whatever". whether that be the latest shoe, trend or dress that "whoever is wearing".

so, it got me thinking - well, what is the equivalent rebellious act then (we can examine why my head traveled this way another day)? ..... so, to keep moving to explain myself, in my day the rebellious act was getting into the disco / niteclub underage (i never did - im so nerdy). my kids arent doing that... mainly as they've started earlier... my 10 year wants access to Facebook so much so that she doesnt see it as wrong to "lie about her age". yep - between her and a friend they had even worked out what year they would have to put in.

i stopped it. however. here's my dilemma.

a while back i was told BEBO was for 10 years olds and said she could use that - to only discover they also had the 13 year old restriction. so, no facebook. no BEBO. no social networking platform for 10 year olds???

what do we do?

we know facebook is populated by females my age - who probably have kids - who probably want to play with all the applications - who cant because they are too young.

can facebook help?

i call on all of you to respond to this blog if you think facebook should create a parental control / kids version. perhaps it is a sub account from mine that i can approve the stuff my kids do - or maybe it's just a mini site with limited access and applications? love to hear how you are managing this in your own households :))