Cory Doctorow says the Internet needs more parent-child media, as opposed to more censorship and firewalls. Read his Guardian column here.
He’s welcome to agree or not, but his thinking is very much in line with the idea of cell phone book clubs.
They could take many form, but one of my favorites would be those where parents and their kids enjoyed common activities, such as movie of widely popular books, with discussion afterwards.
What’s more, the parents would learn about social media—and about monitoring and if need be controlling their kids’ media use.
The issue isn’t just porn. It’s the fact that Facebook and friends are the new TVs, draining time from homework and recreational reading (which of course the clubs would encourage). One of the best ways for parents to inculcate the reading habit is to read books themselves.
Related: UsBook: Toward a family-friendly Facebook alternative to preserve your memories and help future historians—while respecting privacy, a LibraryCity essay.