Networking site caters to children. Industrious Kid Inc.

HER TIMING couldn’t be better. Panic is escalating among parents about social networking on the Web now that some national cases of kidnapping and a local stabbing have been linked to information spreading like wildfire on the Internet’s social networking sites.

But Jeanette Symons, co-founder of the former Ascend Communications Inc. of Alameda as well of Zhone Technologies Inc. of Oakland, is also a technologist who realizes the incredible power of the Web to inform, educate and entertain.

Today, Symons will announce the founding of a new business, Industrious Kid Inc. http://industriouskid.com/ , which will offer several Web destinations including a social networking site, educational games and blogging opportunities for pre-teens — but in a controlled, closed realm Web environment. Industrious Kid is based in Emeryville and privately funded.

"The inspiration was actually pretty simple. I have two kids, 6 and 8 years old, and they love to go online," Symons said about the founding of Industrious Kid. "My daughter has seen other kids creating blogs and she wanted to create her own blog and that set me into panic."

By Barbara Grady, BUSINESS WRITER

Full Story: http://www.insidebayarea.com/business/ci_3580574

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Excellent site recommended by the folks at Industrious Kid Inc.:

Robin Raskin’s Raising Digital Kids http://www.robinraskin.com/

No one said raising kids in a digital world would be easy; but it can be fun and rewarding, especially if you listen to your Internet Mom.