Tweenage Wasteland

OMG, tweens are such a headache. That’s not news to parents who regularly grapple with their own prepubescents, but Mark Zuckerberg may be about to find out too.

Right now, Facebook is limited to users 13 and older, but as The Wall Street Journal first reported, tweens are very much on the social network’s radar. But experts on the demographic wonder whether the potential headaches, outside criticism, not to mention the limited revenue potential, make tweens worth it for Facebook and other social nets. “There are a multitude of concerns if not done right,” said Jim Steyer, CEO/founder of the nonprofit Common Sense Media. Not only could social networking negatively affect cognitive development, Steyer argued, but also a kid’s safety cannot be guaranteed no matter what the company’s technical prowess or monitoring assurances, he contends.