INTRODUCTION
There have been noticeable increases in the
internet participation rate of children and
young people in all EU countries.What is missing from the research agenda is
investigation into the increasing use of
"Websites designed for younger children that
have components of social networking" (
Graber, 2012, p. 85). Children as young as five
are joining virtual worlds such as Minecraft,
Moshi Monsters and Club Penguin. These virtual worlds typically have filters, which
make it difficult for children to exchange
personal information. In addition to this, realtime
moderation usually takes place within
children's virtual worlds (peer, in-game, silent
and/or automated) in order to deter instances of
bullying or abusive behaviour. Notwithstanding
these safety features, younger children can still
be troubled by behaviours they encounter while
playing in virtual worlds. Younger children seem less resilient (due to
their age) and can become distressed when
things go wrong: when they are socially
excluded from games by known friends; when
friends and siblings misuse their online profiles;
and when they encounter virtual losses (games
being hijacked or ruined, or losing virtual
currency) (Holloway et al, 2013). There are also
concerns about young children's "competence 
Zero to eight: Young children and their internet use
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to negotiate online commercial content"
(Nansen et al. 2012, p. 204).?????????