Kids on Facebook - Should They Be There If They Are Under 13?
Should kids under 13 be on Facebook?
Should Kids Under 13 Have a Facebook Account?
Summary of Opinions
Facebook clearly states No Kids on Facebook under the age of 13 yet parents are saying yes. The actual number of kids with Facebook accounts will never be determined, as it is a violation of the rules, therefore not recorded. So in an effort to gather opinion I started an on-line debate in 2011.
Kids on Facebook
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The results have been interesting and powerful. Nearly 3,000 people have participated in the poll, while over 400 have added comments and joined the debate. To date the results are split with approximately 37% believing there is no place for children on Facebook, while 60% think it is ok, although many with self imposed restrictions. (see graph below)
When I started the debate I had a rather laissez faire attitude about kids on Facebook "Sure, why not." As long as parents are supervising, I felt kids on Facebook was ok. Then I began to read the compelling arguments on both sides and my attitude shifted.
It took me nearly two hour to read all the comments therefore it is time to summarize. This page represents the summary of what the results have produced to date.
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My Favorite Comment (Possibly Ever)
Should Kids have a Facebook Account?
"Yes because its unfair to preserve facebook for adult use only just because they know about were babys come from."
Kids on Facebook?
Based on 2,700 responses to a survey (graph links to original survey)
Should Kids Be on Facebook
Source: Should Kids Be Allowed A Face...
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Not a Statistically Represented Survey
Random representation of both children and adults.
(Many children who are not allowed accounts have voted that they should have one).
Key Arguments In Favor of Kids on Facebook
(Not necessarily my opinions)
Among those who think that yes, kids should be given a Facebook account, the key arguments seem to be:
- When parents supervise kids on Facebook it can be an excellent opportunity to teach children of the dangers.
- Younger kids are more teachable than teenagers.
- Social opportunities: Talk to their friends.
- Educational opportunities: Homework help - work in groups.
- Quick and easy way to keep in touch with overseas family and friends.
- Great way to connect to friends.
- Kids today are more responsible.
- Everyone else is doing it, so why should my kid miss out on all the fun. (No kidding, this theme repeated many times)
"I teach him how to use the internet and facebook responsibly now he will be less likely to abuse it or engage in risky online behavior when he is a teenager."
"Facebook is meant to be a social network. If kids are on it and are social with their friends and don't leave their profiles 100% public to just anyone wandering by, I think it can be a great way to enforce friendships."
"Even without Facebook, children can go on the internet, and find out worse things than Facebook."
"I say kids should have a facebook because kids can get jealous easily and they just want to stand out."
"I think it should be up to the parent (and I know there are parents that don't pay any attention, but adding Facebook to the list of things they aren't paying attention to is minor)."
"Kids need to keep in touch with family member and friends."
I Am Not Sure These Comments Actually Make the Point Intended By the Author
"It doesnt matter what parents say because the child will probably make the account any way but i think they should but with supervision because it gives them useful social skills."
"Kids need to connect with friends and share their photos and videos with them and maybe even make friends that are their friends friends. they need to be able to be trusted by their parents. like i have to mine and they love facebook!!"
"i am 6 years old and i have an account"
"There is no harm. My daughter is 12 and she doesn't curse on it or post nude pics of herself and she is 16 on facebook and she doesn't take advantage of it."
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Key Arguments Opposed to Kids on Facebook
These are the primary points among the over 200 comments from people opposed to kids on Facebook:
- It is against the TOS. Facebook's rules clearly state you must be 13 to have an account. (People use words such as illegal, fraud, dishonest or lying.)
- Allowing children on before the legal age is condoning lying, a precedent we may not want to establish with our children.
- The internet is filled with good people, but there is also a dangerous element out there just waiting to prey on children.
- Impossible to supervise 100% of the time.
- Children need to be outdoors, active and learning how to communicate face to face.
- Cyber-bullying is often a problem among peer groups.
- Encourages improper grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- Facebook is not designed to meet the needs of children.
"A parent can't possibly monitor everything that their child is doing on a social network, who their child is talking to and what he/her friends are talking about etc. etc".
"No. If they are allowed to lie about thier age to get a FB account, "truth" becomes a very grey area. It will inevitably lead to lying about other things and kids who don't believe that the rules apply to them. BIG can of worms."
"Children become exposed to cyberbullying, sexual predators and other strangers at such an innocent age."
"Kids are not smart enough to be on the internet at all until they are 13. It is just not safe. Only under close supervision."
"It seems pretty impossible to navigate facebook without seeing things inappropriate for children."
"No. Everything you put on Facebook is going to be floating around in cyberspace for years and years to come and with the way search engines index, it eliminates all privacy."
"No! My 9-yr-old granddaughter was on FB and told the whole world she was alone! Her mother's an idiot for leaving her unattended and letting her have a FB account!"
"Facebook does not offer any benefits to daily life that can justify the risks"
Feature Comment
"It is not about the maturity or not of children this age. It is the consequences that can and so often do come from social networking for minors. I am a Cyber Crime Investigator with the Police. Every day I see and deal with the fallout from Facebook and other sites. The more our kids are "out there" the more vulnerable they become to online predators and groomers or to bullying and exploitation. Over 38% of FB users are under 18. Over 42% of FB accounts of 13&14yrs are false with the real ages being 8to12yrs. Parents and children can not be trusted to use the site properly now, let alone if the age is lowered. If the parents and kids on this site saw a quater of why I see then you would never use FB again. It is a disease and sadly I can not see it being cured anytime soon."
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Anything to Add? All Comments Welcome
Great post, I enjoy reading it.
Thanks
I have been in on a meeting with a Police officer, Senior Teacher and a group of girls, where some of them had been abusing Facebook. They were 11 and 12 at the time and some were cyber bullying. Most of the parents did not have a clue what their kids were up to and one in particular refused to believe what her daughter had done.
The Police Woman said that she has had to deal with the tragic consequences of young girls getting caught up with predators they met on Facebook.
For me the biggest problem is that if you teach your kids that it is Ok to break the rules over some things then they will resent you even more if you wont break the rules for them in other areas.
Neither of my girls are on Facebook, even though one of them is old enough to have an account. I accept that allowing older kids on there and teaching them the dangers of socializing online is a positive thing to do, but I will allow it at a time of my choosing not because "all my friends are on there".
And allowing my kids "privacy" wont happen - again until a time of my choosing. I will have their usernames and their passwords and I will monitoir their use. Privacy does not come into it - if anyone is up to anything or saying things they dont want their parents to know about then they should not be doing it.
OK - I'll climb down off my soapbox now :)