Editor's Note

ISSUE FIVE: What in the World is Web 2.0?

First, be not afraid. You’re already living in Web 2.0. It is what we see all around us: the increasingly mobile, interactive online world—where it’s possible to join virtual clubs and networks, share photos and music, play games with people in other cities or countries, and to chat, text, blog and comment about the issues that matter most to us.

Today’s Web is as much about uploading as it is about downloading, and sharing is front and center. Young teens don’t just Google or search—they blog, wiki (collaborate on linked pages) and share. And all this linking and connecting means adults have an even larger role to play in educating young people about privacy, safety and responsible online behavior.

We’ve got some perspectives and tools to help. In this issue, researcher and cyber safety expert Nancy Willard explains the basics of Web 2.0 and the messages that are likely to work best for young teens, and outlines key questions for schools shaping their safety policies. ConnectSafely offers some concrete tips for adults to help teens make safer choices.

In our parent’s piece, Scott Knight, the father of a budding fourth-grade techie shares his strategies for nurturing responsible behavior. And in Youth Voices, we get the lowdown on e-gaming from both ends of the “tween” spectrum: 14-year-old Alex and 9-year-old Olivier.