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Beth J’s post on the top websites for kids highlights just how brilliant and educational the internet can be for our children. However, many parents out there still have that niggling worry in the back of their minds about the safety of youngsters whilst on the web, particularly when it comes to social networks.

One of the advantages of having fast, reliable broadband is that it is easy and quick to download your favourite videos and music tracks but the disadvantage is that it’s easier for kids to be looking at things they shouldn’t be.

This has never been more prevalent than in today’s society, with the influx of violence amongst young people.

Reassurance comes today from the operators of social networking website Bebo, who insist they have "strict" terms of use which forbid "inappropriate" and "illegal" postings.

These comments come after police in Scotland questioned more than 180 children about their activities on social networking websites. This comes as a part of a nationwide crackdown on anti social behaviour.

Assistant Chief Constable Derek Penman said: "In many cases the parent or guardian was simply unaware that their child's use of social networking was unacceptable and reactions ranged from shock to disgust.

In some cases sites were accessed in the presence of police officers and immediate access to the internet or the computer was withdrawn."

It is reassuring that action is being taken to make sure children and young people are safe on the internet. I am a true advocate of the potential the internet holds for children in terms of learning and educating as well as entertainment and enjoyment. I think the key to safe surfing lies in educating our children on sensible and responsible use of internet.

If you’re looking for somewhere to get some useful hints on how to protect your children and teenagers online Think You Know is a useful and informative site. The BBC also has a Q&A section that answers some of the questions you may have on the issue.

Hi all, my name's Beth Jones and I'm the newest addition to the Wolfstar team and this is my first blog post for EFH Broadband.

With the summer approaching and many parents wondering how they are going to keep the kids entertained over the six week break, I've been searching for the top ten websites for children. Whether you're after educational activities, places to promote the growth of social skills or just pure entertainment there is a website to cater for your wants and needs.

With over 42% of homes in the EU now using broadband, a 12% increase on last year, child safety has become a big issue. But software such as Net Nanny and Cyber Patrol has made it much easier to control what your children can view, ensuring that the internet is a safe environment. There are also many other ways to filter material such as specifically designed search engines including Ask Jeeves for Kids and Yahooligans. For more useful tips take a look at this blog. 

Research by Moneysupermarket.com  has shown children aged from seven to nine spend, on average, one and three quarter hours per week online outside school, compared to four and a quarter hours spent online by those aged between 13 and 15. The internet has become an invaluable tool particularly when considering the educational facilities for children. So there's no need to fret about the summer holiday, keep your kids entertained with my top ten sites for children. 

1. FunBrain.com - http://www.funbrain.com
Educational games, maths problems, word games, and historical trivia.

2. Disney.com - http://www.disney.go.com
Mickey, Donald, and other characters host a number of activities.

3. Funology.com - http://funology.com
Wacky facts, simple craft projects, and magic tricks.

4. The Yuckiest Site on the Internet - http://www.yucky.com
A science education resource covering all things that are gross, including trivia questions such as "What is snot made of?"

5. Nick.com - http://www.nick.com
Over 40 different games.

6. PBS Kids - http://pbskids.org
This site has games, stories, music, contests and colouring for toddlers to preteens.

7. McGruff.org - http://www.mcgruff.org
Interactive games, comics, activities, and advice from McGruff the Crime Dog, mcgruff.org teaches kids how to be safe and protect themselves from crime. It shows kids what they can do to stay safe online, stop bullies from picking on them and their friends, deal with strangers, and more.

8. Yahoo Kids - http://kids.yahoo.com/
Yahoo Kids! is the ultimate web guide for kids! Features fun and educational resources for kids with games, animals, music, jokes, movies, news, astrology...

 9. Kids Domain - http://www.kidsdomain.com/
Kaboose.com is a trusted, family friendly, interactive, entertaining, kid safe, helpful site with hundreds of reviews, message boards, crafts, games...

10. Kids Health - http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/
KidsHealth has doctor-approved articles, animations, games, and resources to help kids learn more about their bodies and stay healthy.

I particularly enjoyed yucky.com, did you know tarantulas inject digestive juices into their prey to break down soft tissue so they can suck out their insides? Maybe it's not just the kids who could learn a thing or two!

When it comes to social networks on the internet, Facebook, MySpace and Bebo automatically spring to mind. But whilst I was doing some research on social networking sites for my top ten social networks, I came across a new site that I thought was rather cool.

imeem, is the name of this find and it definitely features in my pick of the bunch and should be a big hit amongst most music lovers. The site is based around sharing music and video playlists, alongside the usual community functions such as messaging facilities, groups, photo sharing that can be found on most social networks.

What makes this site stand out from the others is the fact that you can create playlists on your profile and share them with your friends. So if you are interested in Rock or Jazz music, you can click on the relevant button and see what songs people have got on their profiles. imeem lets you listen to the track (most of the time the whole song but on occasions it’s just a preview) and download it if you like it and add it to your imeem playlist. You can also share videos in the same manner. You can interact with others with similar music tastes and find out about the latest tunes that are taking the music industry by storm.

Another great application that imeem offers is the events section, where upcoming tours by artists and bands are featured, allowing users to see who is touring, when and where so you never miss a good gig. It even updates you with events happening in your area and at local venues. You can search by artist, venue or show.

I think it’s great, particularly for finding music that is less mainstream or discovering new artists but almost everything on this site is music related so if you’re not a music fan then I don’t really think this one is for you. However if you are I strongly advise you to check it out.

This morning BBC News has reported that the musical social networking site MySpace has announced it's about to start allowing its users to make their information available to other social networks. Information to be shared includes photos, videos, public profile information, friends' lists and text.

When this new service is launched its members will be able to share their information with Yahoo, Twitter, eBay and Photobucket.

Up until now social networks like Facebook, MySpace and Bebo have locked us all into their own specific site and made sure the content we created and saved was properly guarded and unreachable by the other sites to stop us all from hopping from one site to another which is why Facebook has got such a massive user base. It's also the reason we have to keep completing form after form for each different site inputting the same information which can be very tedious. This new service will hopefully remove a lot of that.

Interestingly, MySpace's Boss Chris DeWolfe has confirmed he is happy to work with Facebook - which would be a huge leap forward. MySpace has stressed that users will have the control over what information they share and who they share it with.  

I see this as an ongoing trend with the other sites quickly following suit because quite frankly they will have to or they will be quickly ditched by us (the users) for newer, cooler sites and tools.

It's no coincidence that this has been announced quite soon after Myspace's user figures appeared to be waning. So if these social networks genuinely want to survive they must bring down their guarding walls and share our information.

One thing is for sure, if this information is safe and secure this will be great news for all of us as we should be able to say goodbye to the wasted hours spent on the internet filling out pointless forms answering the same boring questions.

The new changes are reported to be rolled out on the site across the coming weeks.

I have to admit, I love watching funny videos on YouTube. It’s my guilty pleasure when I’m stuck for something to do on a night in. Whether it’s the evil eye baby or watching some kick ass cheerleading routines, there’s always something I can find to amuse myself. So I was overjoyed when during an ad break in Friends, I saw an advert for a programme on tonight called Rude Tube on E4. Alex Zane is to present a countdown of the 50 funniest, rudest and most bizarre video clips to take the internet by storm. Finally, us addicts can watch all the best bits in one sitting and feed our need for people doing weird things on camera! E4, 10.30pm, check it out.

And to keep your appetites wet in the mean time, here’s my favourites:

Now that the 'big three' have been covered in my top ten social networks, I thought I would move on to some of the lesser known and more specialised networks that have made my top 10.

‘CafeMom’ is a less renowned social media site compared to the likes of Facebook and Myspace, however in October last year, the site was actually voted number one site for women on the net.

The American made website for mothers, follows the same sort of style as other social media sites: you can make yourself a profile, add friends, join groups, add photos and send each other messages. The great thing about this site is the focus on forums. Mothers from all over the world unite and join in with debates-some scheduled and some not- about anything and everything from weight loss to cookery.

There is so much advice and help about everything a mother, old or new could possibly need to know and the best thing about it is that it comes from the experts, other mothers.

Serious issues such as abortion and still born births are discussed, and it’s pleasantly moving to see the support members genuinely give to others who they have never met before, but have a bond in the fact that they both share in the blessing of having children.

The visuals on the site are quite basic but the layout is simple and easy to use. As the name suggests, the site is very American orientated: a lot of links and references are from America which some UK members might find a bit uncomfortable and unfamiliar with. However, learning about others mothering guidance from different nations should be a good thing, whether you choose to take it or not.

After browsing through the 1000s of groups available, I was amazed at the vast amount of topics and issues which mothers need to deal with. The site really is a great place for real Mums to ‘hang out’ and there is so much to learn from the other members, this is an essential must for all mums!

So the second site I have wondered into the world of during my investigation into the top 10 social networks is MySpace. Our wonderful work experience student Rosalind was kind enough to help me with this post.

MySpace is another of what I like to call the ‘big three’. One of the most successful and popular social networking sites out there (I class Facebook, MySpace and Bebo as the big three). Although it has lost favour to Facebook with UK audiences, it is still one of the top three sites according to an independent survey carried out by Computer Which? Bebo came up as most popular with Facebook then MySpace coming closely behind after being tested on the ease of setting up and using the site, the range of features, and the way the sites protected privacy and security, including how easy it is to remove personal details.

As with all social networks, MySpace is an online community. Similarly to both Facebook and Bebo, once you've joined you can start creating your own personalised homepage. You can choose from their selected backgrounds or you can get your creative juices flowing and make your own. Users can add songs and videos, and upload photos to make their own personal space.

MySpace can be used to make new friends, connect your friends to other friends, for single people to find other single people, map family trees, socially network with co-workers, and even to find long lost friends or classmates. As you build your network you can share photos, journals and interests with your friends.

Video sharing application, MySpace TV has become a rival to YouTube, but there is a bit more of an emphasis on professional and studio produced material. They have recently clubbed together with BBC Worldwide and now selected BBC shows (including The Mighty Boosh, Doctor Who and Top Gear) are available to subscribers of the BBC Worldwide channel on MySpace TV for viewing and virtually sharing across your online community.

There is a huge music emphasis on MySpace and the site has become almost essential for new acts that want to promote themselves and also major artists as a way of connecting to their fans. Bands can make their own profiles containing their music and videos and start their own blogs and forums. Kate Nash found herself a manager after uploading some of her songs to MySpace where she was noticed by Lily Allen, who then added her to her favourites' and helped direct a lot of attention to her.

The classified section on MySpace allows members to post free ads and search millions of free ads for used cars, jobs, apartments, real estate, pets, tickets, dates and more.

The thing I have struggled with the most when using MySpace is the code writing. You have to edit your page’s code in order to add new applications, whereas you just have to press ‘add’ on some of the other social networks. So that is why I personally prefer Facebook.

The average age of MySpace users is 31. More than 85% of MySpace members are over 18.

There are many similar features to Facebook on MySpace- you can create your own groups and events and there are many of those annoying little applications like 'adopt a virtual pet' and other 'games' that clutter up the pages.

So… I gave you a quick overview of my top ten social networking sites last week but now is the time to look a little closer into each one. Like I mentioned before I am at heart a Facebook girl so had to start with this one.

Facebook - Last month, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg made Forbes list of the World’s Richest Men. Facebook saw rapid growth in 2007 and many wait with baited breath to see how it performs in 2008. My personal favourite, Facebook offers users the chance to network, share photos and other content with their chosen friends (so no weirdo’s can see your profile unless you want them to). The security features are pretty hot too. They allow you to add people on a ‘limited’ basis, where you can pick and choose which features they can see (i.e. if you don’t want your mum, dad, boss or significant other seeing what you have been up to).

As a regular user and slight addict, I have become pretty familiar with its functions and applications. The wall function and private messaging facility have saved me many a penny when I would have previously been texting my friends. This works for me because most of my friends have a Facebook profile and check it (very) regularly. I really like the events application, which allows Facebook users to create invitations to any soirées you may be throwing, and easily RSVP.

Facebook groups have been making waves across the world and have even been influential in the decisions of large multinational companies, for example Cadbury’s brought back their Wispa chocolate bars after demands were voiced through Facebook groups. Groups can be made about almost anything and other users can join and share their opinions.

If you have feeds from other sites, such as a blog or Twitter feed, Facebook allows you to share this feed on your site. I’m taking part in Cancer Research’s Race for Life in May, and have been able to share my fundraising progress with my Facebook friends.

Facebook has allowed me personally, to get in contact with people that I would have never been able to previously. This was highlighted when last week a distant relative from the other side of the world contacted me by ‘poking’ me.

I do however get annoyed with all the newer, silly applications that have been developed like ‘I’m a ninja’ or ‘Am I a hottie?’ They seem to be getting more stupid by the day and I hate having to scroll down through a million other applications before I get to someone’s wall to write them a message.

Social networks and social media are the talk of the town at the moment. Personally I am a bit of a Facebook girl and have found myself using the site to talk and socialise with my friends more often than my mobile phone (plus it’s free). But I decided it was time to spread my wings and see what else was out there in terms of social networking sites and I have come up with a list of my favourite ones. For now here is the list, but over my next few posts I will be investigating each one and giving you an insight into the world within each network:

1. Facebook

2. MySpace

3. bebo

4. LinkedIn

5. CafeMom

6. imeem

7. Ning

8. Twitter

9. Wetpaint

10. FriendFeed