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	Y2K for Kids! By Solveig Singleton February 18, 1999 Children, gather round and listen closely. It's time for a tale of the terrible Millennium Bug. For the young -- or young at heart -- there's a Y2K coloring book published by the CIA (no kidding). It features a visit to the Y2K Wizard, who makes everything OK. There's more Y2K for kids at 2000now.org, including links to an Australian site. The Australians advise kids that: "The fact is that you probably have an advantage in dealing with Y2k issues, over your parents. Lots of adults are really set in their ways and take the attitude that, 'This doesn't belong in my life, so I won't let it intrude.' If you aren't set in your ways, like so many adults are, you still have a young mind that is open to new concepts and new ways to do things." What can you do if you're not "set in your ways?" The site suggests children ask their teachers and parents to lead discussions and browse Y2K sites on the Net. (Note: Actually solving the Y2K problem doesn't make the list. Guess that's left to the grownups.) Then there's "How the Year 2000 Problem Impacts Children," by William M. Ulrich. His warning is arguably helpful but hardly surprising: "We should recognize that any prolonged and significant impact on society would also impact the children of that society." There's even something to make conspiracy buffs peer nervously over their shoulders. The shadowy federal agency at the heart of the recent X-Files movie wants you. Or, more precisely, your kids. FEMA tells children that they can "become a Disaster Action Kid!" It links to another government site that serves up a lukewarm dish of on-one-hand-and-on-the-other advice for kids. "The electricity could go out," but it probably won't. Nuclear plants will be OK, but the government is devising "a contingency plan for ensuring that public health and safety and the environment will continue to be protected in the event unforeseen Y2K problems occur." The FAQ takes a just-say-no posture when responding to the question, "Should my parents take their money out of the bank?" The unsurprising answer -- "No... Everyone taking their money out of their banks could cause more problems than the Y2K computer problem itself" -- cheerfully confuses the government's interest with individuals' separate and perhaps conflicting interest in self-preparation... but perhaps the kids won't notice.		FEATURES Book Reviews Y2K already has spawned its own genre. We tell you what books are worth buying. Chip 'n Little Cartoons Chip 'n Little goes on TV Chip 'n Little visits John Koskinen Chip 'n Little saves the world Warning: This cartoon has been called "foolish and tasteless." Y2K from A to Z Y2K Haiku Traditionalists may be shocked. Mad Cow Culture What does Y2K have in common with today's Mad Cow Culture? Answer: Everything. Declan McCullagh's Y2K articles Psychology of Y2K LATEST NEWS As of December 31, 1999 Get Your T-Shirt Quick Bill Gates Does Y2K Reader Feedback A Sarcastic Calendar Cooking After the Apocalypse A Real Y2K Disaster Hitchhiker's Guide Meets Y2K