Facebook testing out ways to allow kids under 13

lizzybethclaire

I would not let my 13 year old on FB. Do they really need to be on FB at that age? This might not even pan out, but it was a good read. Personally, I will let my 15 and 17 year old on there because they know the risks about writing embarrasing stuff, but my 13 year old still doesn't get that what you put on the internet lasts forever.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/256740/facebook_ready_to_officially_allow_children_under_13.html

victoria4321

I don't see the harm if you monitor their activity. It's better than your kid lying about their age and signing up behind your back anyway. Facebook is just a tool to communicate with people. Its as bad as you want to allow it to be.

callsitlikeiseeit

my 13 year old has been on it for ... 3? years? LOLOL

BUT we also dont sugarcoat stuff with our kids - we made her sign a contract about the facebook and internet rules, etc, and we monitor her fb VERY closely. All of her emails are automatically forwarded to me, and i log into her account and read through her messages and stuff all the time LOLOL

shes the most mature 13 year old ive ever known, but again, we have high expectations and don't sugarcoat the dangers.

it really depends on the kid.....

SofaKingRad

dianacannon89

my 13 year old has been on it for ... 3? years? LOLOL

BUT we also dont sugarcoat stuff with our kids - we made her sign a contract about the facebook and internet rules, etc, and we monitor her fb VERY closely. All of her emails are automatically forwarded to me, and i log into her account and read through her messages and stuff all the time LOLOL

shes the most mature 13 year old ive ever known, but again, we have high expectations and don't sugarcoat the dangers.

it really depends on the kid.....

Great job mom You are doing it right! This is how I will be with mine as well. They are but 3 yrs and 7 months but ughh they just keep growing!

MileyClimb

I don't allow my daughter to have a facebook . she's way to young

sillygoose1977

My 10 year old has an account but she doesn't know the username or password to log on. I have to approve all friends (which are actually only her family members). It is a pretty simple thing to control as a parent.

Anomalia

I remember the good old days when you had to actually be in college to use Facebook...I wish it would go back to that.

juliecat1

My 11 year old just got a fb account a few weeks ago. I locked it down. I have her password to all of her accounts. I also regularly check her browsing history. So far so good. She's not allowed to have me as a fb friend though.... I say inappropriate things sometimes. :P

76tech

still freaks me out that my parents have FB accounts. I'm surprised kids want them at all.

PixEm

I have a 12 year old (almost 13 year old) son and see no need in him having a Facebook page. I just don't see the need. He does have an email account and I monitor that regularly (he has this only to communicate with his dad who is out of state). I don't see the problem with good ol' fashion talking on the phone. That was the only way I could connect with my friends when I wasn't in school or playing outside with them and I definitely did not need a Facebook page to do that.

AJ_Pete

my 13 year old has been on it for ... 3? years? LOLOL

BUT we also dont sugarcoat stuff with our kids - we made her sign a contract about the facebook and internet rules, etc, and we monitor her fb VERY closely. All of her emails are automatically forwarded to me, and i log into her account and read through her messages and stuff all the time LOLOL

shes the most mature 13 year old ive ever known, but again, we have high expectations and don't sugarcoat the dangers.

it really depends on the kid.....

Agree! My daughter has one at 10 and is closely monitored. She doesn't do anything besides post One Direction videos and tag her friends in silly pictures. You have to give kids some slack to live... if they feel deprived, they'll go behind your back. How else do they learn if they're not experiencing life? Just teach them to be smart and keep an eye on them.

AJ_Pete

My 11 year old just got a fb account a few weeks ago. I locked it down. I have her password to all of her accounts. I also regularly check her browsing history. So far so good. She's not allowed to have me as a fb friend though.... I say inappropriate things sometimes. :P

I have mine set so she can't see my posts unless she's tagged because I'm super vulgar!

taunto

I'm not a parent so take my words lightly

When I was about 13, I had full freedom on my computer. My parents didn't knew how to use computer and I was basically the computer kid in the family. I think I did well, even back then I knew better to put things up online.

However, we were more mature for our age. Not to toot my own horn, but at 13 years of age, I was more mature mentally than more 20 years old I see doing dumb stuff. My parents taught me well.

What does bother me is the increasing use of pictures. I, at the age of 28, refuse to put up a picture online. In the past 10 years I have had about 5 pictures taken out of which only 2 made it online and none of them have me tagged. I am a computer major doing my Masters, I am a computer security fanatic and I know the dangers that come with putting yourself out there like that.

Its even worst for women (sorry my feminist friends, but thats just what I believe). A female putting up her pictures online, specially at that age should be a strict no-no from the parents. They need to be made aware of the dangers of putting pictures online (photoshoping into sexual acts, pedohphilers etc). Camera phones in the hands of kids nowadays is completely unnecessary. Give them cell-phones if you want. We know its for emergency even though it won't be used for one mostly. Give them texting but why on earth do kids under the age of 18 need camera phones...?

tl;dr: Give them a fb account if they're aware of the dangers and understand those dangers. NEVER give them camera phone and untag all the pics of them uplaoded and ask whoever uploaded them to take them down (or ask their parents)

Qarol

Just warms my heart when parents knowingly break the rules for their kid...:flowerforyou:

AJ_Pete

Just warms my heart when parents knowingly break the rules for their kid...:flowerforyou:

I'm glad you're so morally correct.

billsica

bluefox9er

what FB mean is that they are looking at how to go about brand and product placement for young kids.

the fact that Facebook now is nothing to do with 'friends and being connected' and everything to do with bull**** that you happen to click 'like' to.

FB has had it's day and deserves to go the way of 'myspace' unless it goes back to what it was originally designed to to..thats keeping family,friends and like minded people connected.

CalJur

Hilarious. They have a good test group already with all the kids already under 13 who have accounts on FB.

EpiGaiaRepens

kids under 13 are already using it.

I dont' want my kid on there. Not because i woulnd't monitor it, but because it sucks up time that is better spent running around the house with the dog, tearing up furniture, and annoying adults.

However, one of my son's dear friends moved to france and this is how the kids are staying in touch these days. For that reason, I think it's good.

Hellbent_Heidi

Hell, I'm just glad there wasn't any facebook around when I was that age. If my parents had the technology to "monitor" my every move like people do today..I'd STILL be grounded!! :noway:

Totally makes me happy not to have children!

k8blujay2

I remember the good old days when you had to actually be in college to use Facebook...I wish it would go back to that.

I concur...

nakabi

Just warms my heart when parents knowingly break the rules for their kid...:flowerforyou:

Agreed!

As a parent, we are supposed to be teaching our children to obey laws. Children have no need to be on facebook. They are spending less and less time outside playing and more time on the computers. Lowering the age is just going to make it worse I think.

ket_the_jet

I remember the good old days when you had to actually be in college to use Facebook...I wish it would go back to that.

Will you think that when you graduate college...? What about the ~93% of the world that does not have a degree*?
-wtk

* Huffington Post, 2010

mandydoll

Agreed, my cousin is 12 and has a facebook page, her mum knows her password.. but she only really uses the account to play games. I personally don't see the need, she see's her friends all day at school, and plays with other friends after school and on weekends. Kids need human contact to learn how to interact, i don't think being on facebook compares to that.

victoria4321

I remember the good old days when you had to actually be in college to use Facebook...I wish it would go back to that.

Will you think that when you graduate college...? What about the ~93% of the world that does not have a degree*?
-wtk

* Huffington Post, 2010

You still kept your account after college. I actually only liked it when it was a college/alumni network.

TylerJ76

. I don't see the problem with good ol' fashion talking on the phone. That was the only way I could connect with my friends when I wasn't in school or playing outside with them and I definitely did not need a Facebook page to do that.

Times change.

EpiGaiaRepens

I remember the good old days when you had to actually be in college to use Facebook...I wish it would go back to that.

Will you think that when you graduate college...? What about the ~93% of the world that does not have a degree*?
-wtk

* Huffington Post, 2010

You still kept your account after college. I actually only liked it when it was a college/alumni network.

So it was like a linkedin account or something? I never knew that.

Tho i do know a woman who was in college when the internet was invented. Apparently, it used to be for college students only too, at some point.

victoria4321

I remember the good old days when you had to actually be in college to use Facebook...I wish it would go back to that.

Will you think that when you graduate college...? What about the ~93% of the world that does not have a degree*?
-wtk

* Huffington Post, 2010

You still kept your account after college. I actually only liked it when it was a college/alumni network.

So it was like a linkedin account or something? I never knew that.

Tho i do know a woman who was in college when the internet was invented. Apparently, it used to be for college students only too, at some point.

Somewhat similar, but probably more social. I still have my school email as the log in. It used to be as long as you had a .edu email at the school you can make an account. Even people who already graduated and teachers can sign up that meant since many schools don't delete your college email account.

k8blujay2

I remember the good old days when you had to actually be in college to use Facebook...I wish it would go back to that.

Will you think that when you graduate college...? What about the ~93% of the world that does not have a degree*?
-wtk

* Huffington Post, 2010

In my personal opinion (as one that has had an account since 2004), the site has seriously degraded when they allowed everyone and their unborn fetus have an account. While it is fun and convienent to have access to family and friends that might not otherwise be on it (that's what Myspace was turned into, right?)... I can't handle people older than me airing out their dirty laundry like the 14 year olds as well.... it gets to be too much when you see very similar statuses about the "drama one doesn't want" coming from the immature adults and the children at the same time.

ket_the_jet

You still kept your account after college. I actually only liked it when it was a college/alumni network.

That still doesn't answer for 6,526,740,000 people on earth [and potential subscribers]. If 30% of the world's population is under 18, that's still a market share of 4,568,718,000 people.

Not to mention, being a publicly traded company, why would Facebook try to ostracize such a crazy proportion of its users?
-wtk