What is the right age for a kid to have a Facebook Page? Many of my 12-year-old'

1. 73

   SmartAndFunposted 14 years ago

   What is the right age for a kid to have a Facebook Page? Many of my 12-year-old's friends have...
   
   one, but I am telling her NO. Should I let her? What age did your kids get a FB page?

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2. 55

   i know, you knowposted 14 years ago

   No No No! I so wouldn't. You're just asking for trouble, unless you plan on monitoring your childs account. But firstly I'd see what the legal age is, for a child to have a 'facebook' account. Just be careful! Goodluck!!!!

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3. 59

   internett1t3posted 14 years ago

   It's alright to have facebook as long as you know your responsibilities. A lots of 12 year old's playing Ameba Pico Applications on it.

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4. 70

   MayGposted 14 years ago

   I wouldn't allow it unless she is going to let you monitor it, and that of course depends on  whether you have the time to!  You can have strict profile settings so that only her friends can see her profile, and you can also restrict what info she puts up there - you may just need to check every now and then to see that she hasn't altered the settings without you knowing.

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5. 0

   CheetahsLadyposted 14 years ago

   I wrote a hub on the dangers of facebook and how people well over the age of 21 make mistakes that will cost them in the long run.  So I would have to say, the best age for a child to have a facebook page depends on the child.  Its just like asking when should a child have a cellphone.  There is no certain age. It depends on the child's sense of responsibility and such.

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6. 81

   NateSeanposted 14 years ago

   Well, one positive point of Facebook is that it's a way to ensure that the only people your child is talking to are people she knows. Her friends from school, etc. And if you insist that she secures her facebook page, then only they can see her updates and it protects her from some of the dangerous elements that could be lurking out there.
   
   That said, yes there are dangers and uncertainties. But she is going to face those dangers at one point in her life anyway. The question here is, can she handle it?
   
   In the case of my cousin, who is the same age as your daughter, she proved that she is not mature enough to handle a Facebook account. Particularly when she tried to arrange an "encounter" with a mentally challenged nineteen year-old.
   
   In the end, it's her display of common sense that should tell you if she should get a Facebook account. If you can leave her alone at home without worrying about it, I'd say let her have the account. And at least if it's on your computer, you can more easily monitor who she is and isn't talking to.
   
   The only thing you're doing by forbidding her to get one in the safety of your home is giving her the doorway to go to her friends' places and set it up there. (And lets not be naive about this. It is the biological imperative of all twelve year-olds to sneak past their parents.)

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7. 61

   nmcquillposted 14 years ago

   I don't have kids, but personally, I wouldn't allow it unless she agrees to allow you to monitor her activity as closely as possible.  There are all those cases on Dateline about children meeting older men on facebook, setting up a place to meet, and the children run away from home and even 10 years later, they're not found.  Of course there are millions of people on facebook, and the chances of that happening are very slim, but facebook has many creepy people on there.  All it takes is one event invitation and a post from her on that event's page and a predator could be in.
   
   But there are settings on there that you must know their first and last name in order for others to add her.  But she can still send messages, which would be unavailable for you to see.  It's very risky.  There are many ways around the privacy settings.  Even if she blocks someone, that person could still contact her through events.  The internet is tricky and it's just like the law - it has many loopholes.

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8. 61

   kd4rvbposted 13 years ago

   Ultimately the choice is yours to make, but if you normally trust your child to do the right things and monitor their use of the product to insure their safety then yes, I think it is fine for any child to have a Facebook page. Better to have them interacting in the open with permission than sneaking behind your back in rebellion.

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