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Should Kids Under 13 Be Allowed to Use Facebook?

SodaHead Living 2012/06/05 17:00:00
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It's well known that Facebook does not permit users under 13 years old -- and that many kids find a way to use the social networking site anyway. All that could change, though, now that Facebook is developing technology that would allow kids under 13 to use the site under parental supervision, The Wall Street Journal reports.

kids facebook

According to the WSJ, there are a few possibilities in the works. One would connect
children's accounts to their parents', allowing mom and dad to decide whom their kids can "friend" and what applications they can use.

It does seem incumbent upon Facebook to come up with something, since many kids lie about their ages to get accounts. Last year, Consumer Reports said 7.5 million children under the age of 13 were using the site, including more than five million under the age of 10. And last fall, a study sponsored by Microsoft Research found that 36 percent of parents were aware that their children joined Facebook before age 13, and many even helped their kids to do so.

But given that adults have privacy concerns about Facebook, is the site safe for kids? And could it make them vulnerable to predators and bullies?
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Top Opinion

  • Bob P. Clarkson 2012/06/05 20:04:22
    No
    Bob P. Clarkson
    +23
    Adults have no concept of security on the Internet and children of all ages almost universally trust that everyone is as "nice and good" as they are. My now 15 year old granddaughter got on Facebook at 13, and even though her Dad took her off Facebook, she got on under another name using a friend's computer.
    Grandpa has been playing with computers since we were using punch cards, and even though I no longer write programs, I stumble my way through the computer world.
    I established an account as a fifteen year old boy with pictures I borrowed from a neighbors son, then "stalked" her and convinced her to meet me at a mall - it was really safe that way. When she walked in to the food court, she was surprised to see me and acted like she wanted me to disappear before "Steve" got there.
    I showed her the file on her and "Steve" and she was P.O.'d I had spied on her.
    I showed her where her school was, where her best girlfriends lived, where she lived and gave her my "On-line Security" talk.
    She listened as a know-it-all 13 year old listens, which to say is, not at all, and continued to hammer me about "spying" on her. I logged on to Facebook with my laptop, and when I signed in to my Steve persona, she got very quiet. Then I retold her what I had done and showed her how "unsafe" th...

















    Adults have no concept of security on the Internet and children of all ages almost universally trust that everyone is as "nice and good" as they are. My now 15 year old granddaughter got on Facebook at 13, and even though her Dad took her off Facebook, she got on under another name using a friend's computer.
    Grandpa has been playing with computers since we were using punch cards, and even though I no longer write programs, I stumble my way through the computer world.
    I established an account as a fifteen year old boy with pictures I borrowed from a neighbors son, then "stalked" her and convinced her to meet me at a mall - it was really safe that way. When she walked in to the food court, she was surprised to see me and acted like she wanted me to disappear before "Steve" got there.
    I showed her the file on her and "Steve" and she was P.O.'d I had spied on her.
    I showed her where her school was, where her best girlfriends lived, where she lived and gave her my "On-line Security" talk.
    She listened as a know-it-all 13 year old listens, which to say is, not at all, and continued to hammer me about "spying" on her. I logged on to Facebook with my laptop, and when I signed in to my Steve persona, she got very quiet. Then I retold her what I had done and showed her how "unsafe" the Internet was, again.
    Since a number of her friends had "friended" me, and some friends of the real Steve, kind of computer specialists, I showed her how easier it was to track her, and them, using Facebook and Google Earth.
    She was still put out with grandpa when she left, but two days later she took down her Facebook account - and so did two of her friends. She now gives security lectures to her friends that want to know why she doesn't have a Facebook page.

    She now has unlimited minutes on her iPhone, and actually likes it better than Facebook. I'm sure she and all of her friends will have arthritic thumbs when they get older, and I'm sure they will figure out something else that is probably just as dangerous, but parents and grandparents can only deal with what we know.
    Oh, it took her only a week to forgive me, but when she told her dad why she took down her Facebook page, he was bent out of shape for about a month for sticking my nose in. It was "his job" to guide and guard her through to adulthood. When my quick statement about I did what he would have to have hired someone else to do and didn't charge him for my work finally sunk in.
    I was guilty that I usurped his parental job, but I've always been a Type A, so it never even dawned on me to consult him - I just did it to protect my granddaughter.
    I'm not sure I would do it much different, anyway.










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Opinions

  • jonathonwhitley 2013/04/11 18:16:05
    No
    jonathonwhitley
    i,jonathon think kids should not have a facebook. the reason im saying this is because the things that people put on there kids shouldnt see
  • Lyndsay 2012/07/21 03:32:25
    No
    Lyndsay
    It's 13 and up for a reason. Not for stupid little kids to use it. I waited till I was 13 and everything thought that was weird. Well it's actually completely normal! Kid these days.. God >:(
  • T 2012/07/17 00:45:18
    Yes
    T
    but not under 10... or just use your best judgement as a parent.
  • macy 2012/07/12 02:14:07
    Yes
    macy
    +1
    Kids want to fit in too. Think about the kids!
  • emma 2012/06/27 15:04:30
    No
    emma
    I don't use facebook WHAT DO U DO ON FACEBOOK ANYWAY?
  • Isha Dwesar 2012/06/24 19:54:24
    No
    Isha Dwesar
    the rules are there for a reason, kids.
  • Tasha 2012/06/18 01:09:24
    No
    Tasha
    Kids under 13 should not use Facebook because some are not bright
  • Adrint 2012/06/17 22:11:34
    No
    Adrint
    The real question is should anyone be using facebook?
    http://www.quitfakebook.tk
  • elisa 2012/06/16 09:29:20
    No
    elisa
    ther are two small
  • zarlino 2012/06/15 15:50:39
    Yes
    zarlino
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    Go Flashes!!!
  • Roy 2012/06/13 23:00:20
  • ali 2012/06/13 01:14:00
    No
    ali
    There arr creepy people online
  • Alexis Romero 2012/06/12 20:21:27
    Yes
    Alexis Romero
    +1
    Its another way that kids can communicate if they don't have a phone
  • haShe 2012/06/12 01:56:12
    No
    haShe
    +1
    Even if it only sucks up some of their time I'm thinking there are more constructive things to be done with a <13 brain.
  • dude 2012/06/12 01:22:01
    No
    dude
    It is onlt for their safety because so people post strange if not offending things on facebook. They should wait until they are at least 13 but we shall see what facebook has in the works.
  • Tia 2012/06/11 15:08:58
    No
    Tia
    People can say ANYTHING in Facebook. The child c
  • Lessie 2012/06/11 01:53:55
    No
    Lessie
    Let them wait till they integrate in organizations, employment, and are typical age of dating...
  • Alyssa 2012/06/10 16:37:20
    Yes
    Alyssa
    +1
    I'm 11 and I have a facebook....I'm not an idiot..i don't add random people that I don't even know.....I don't even talk to them either...
  • alipop Alyssa 2012/06/11 00:07:25
    alipop
    u go sister alyssa b
  • Tia Alyssa 2012/06/11 15:20:26
    Tia
    Yeah, but not everyone is that responsible. We get that you are, but we're not all like you.
    Besides, you're not as responsible with a Facebook account; knowing that in order to get one you have I be 13+, you had to of lied to get an account, and lying is a sin. It is extremely irresponsible to lie.
  • haShe Alyssa 2012/06/12 01:53:16
    haShe
    Do your parents know? Did you lie to set up the account? This is telling us what kind of person you are now and what kind of citizen you will be when you grow up. IRS are you watching?
  • Alyssa haShe 2012/08/23 18:48:59
    Alyssa
    Yes my parents do know.... I asked my dad and he said sure....
  • Dave 007 2012/06/10 11:46:49
    No
    Dave 007
    But good luck keeping them off.
  • yoora501 2012/06/10 06:24:44
    No
    yoora501
    no
  • BuyMyFIAT 2012/06/09 18:00:09 (edited)
    Yes
    BuyMyFIAT
    When was the last time you went to your fifth grade class at a public or private school? My money says a dime will get you a dollar that every no answer is someone trying to keep you from using RDF like it was designed. My name is John Zarlino and I would love to help you and your group understand how http://fb.me/KiwanisRocks can help you get what you want. Text the word | Brending to 90210 | or just visit my site now and be a part of you child's life today so you won't have to brend with them later. http://BrendingKlout.zeekrewa... brending  john zarlino  Cover Your Assets
  • BuyMyFIAT BuyMyFIAT 2012/06/09 18:10:53
    BuyMyFIAT
    +1
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  • Michael 2012/06/09 14:57:37
    No
    Michael
    +1
    Some BRIGHT person once used a great analogy about "...allowing young kids on the internet is like letting them go to the mall alone! NOT A GOOD IDEA."
  • BuyMyFIAT Michael 2012/06/09 18:11:58
    BuyMyFIAT
    Do you have children that are in school now?
  • Buffalobill91 2012/06/09 08:30:03
    No
    Buffalobill91
    There are too many stupid breeder parents who would just let their kids use it totally unsupervised and too many predators out there looking for just that kind of opportunity.
  • BuyMyFIAT Buffalo... 2012/06/09 18:12:46
    BuyMyFIAT
    Do you have children in school now?
  • Buffalo... BuyMyFIAT 2012/06/11 12:22:44
    Buffalobill91
    one graduating from HS this week and another in college... both use Facebook... one the uses it only occasionally the other almost obsessively.

    I personally hate it--- I dont use it because I dont need to know when my "friends" are going to the grocery store or feeding their fn dog... I think people who post dumb stuff like that are lucky people dont rob their houses------I think, for the most part, its an absolute waste of time except as a tool for friends&family who are spread out to manage to stay in touch/share pics etc.

    The lack of privacy with anything put on there concerns me as well...
  • click1695 2012/06/09 06:11:12
    No
    click1695
    I think the question should be: Should naive kids be allowed on facebook?
  • BuyMyFIAT click1695 2012/06/09 18:12:52
    BuyMyFIAT
    Do you have children in school now?
  • click1695 BuyMyFIAT 2012/06/11 16:57:59
    click1695
    +1
    haha i'm a child myself (over 13), no experience or wisdom of any sort, but i like to put my opinion out there :)
  • Kira Bravo 2012/06/09 03:57:23
    No
    Kira Bravo
    no becuz of the sickos and pervs online
  • Call me Mark willya? 2012/06/09 03:12:35
    No
    Call me Mark willya?
    +1
    Heck there are a lot of so-called ADULTS that shouldn't be on facebook. The ones that get on there and get in heated arguments in their public page instead of using messages, can't spell and make threats to people that live halfway across the world because they know they'll never get face to face.
  • EricVanSingleton 2012/06/08 20:52:09
    Yes
    EricVanSingleton
    Whether they are on Facebook or any other site, it is still the responsibilty of parents to monitor their activity and ensure their safety.
  • Robert Erbach 2012/06/08 20:06:25
    No
    Robert Erbach
    To many perverts on the Internet trying to meet with girls
  • sasha Singh 2012/06/08 19:56:20
    Yes
    sasha Singh
    +1
    Yes kids under 13 should use facebook because they can communitcate with their social people and freinds
  • Tia sasha S... 2012/06/11 15:28:25
    Tia
    +1
    Did you ever hear of a cell phone? There's no age limit to that and you can't get peoples numbers you don't know. Unlike facebook, people can find out who you are, stalk you, kidnap you, teach you things you shouldn't know about until you're older, make you do things In a sneaky way, ETC ETC.
    It's not that easy, and you need to be EXTREMELY RESPONSIBLE. Although, when you lie its EXTREMELY IRRESPONSIBLE. So… there's not possible way you can be responsible in that site.
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