Is 12 years old too young to have social networking accounts?

1. 85

   AustralianNappiesposted 11 years ago

   Is 12 years old too young to have social networking accounts?

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2. 71

   samaziposted 11 years ago

   I am of the opinion that the child is too young to have social networking accounts. At 12-years-old, this is the time when the child should concentrate on playing on the Playing station3 and xbox 360 raher than opening social networking accounts. He/she doesn't need this.The time shall come,for now it is time for home work and playing hard.

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3. 91

   Elderberry Artsposted 11 years ago

   My daughter is 12 and has a fb account for a few years. I allowed her to open the account as our circumstances meant we moved hundreds of miles away from where she had grown up and wanted to keep in touch with her friends. I keep the privacy settings as high as possible and I keep an eye on the account and what she is doing on there and she has all family members added so in effect we can all keep and eye on her. There was one incident where she shared something inappropriate and got in trouble and banned from using it for a week but since then all has been fine and I am glad she hasn't lost touch we her friends and still visits them sometimes which would of been harder without fb.

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4. 95

   GoodLadyposted 11 years ago

   Since you asked, I think so yes, though i wouldn't give this opinion without your question.  Parents know what's best for their children!
   
   I may be old fashioned but I think 12 is an age to be learning real social skills, not just virtual ones. 
   It's a time to play games with other children, and not on play stations or computers, though some time on those is very useful and fun. 
   
   Social networking gets adults hooked; lots of us wished we weren't spending so much time networking.  It's quite addictive.  Anything addictive is very bad for a 12 year old, who has not yet learned how important it is to 'control' unhealthy behaviors.  In fact, through interacting physically-socially, young people learn lots from each other; what's acceptable behavior, what isn't, what's going to get a laugh from friends, what's going to get you left out, what is obsessive, what is lazy etc. 
   Through being together, 12 year olds prepare how to be 13 year olds and so on.  Taking time away from 'being together', through social networking, might make a 12 year old network savvy, but it will probably take away from learning how to live life 'out there', where real life still gets lived. 
   If the social network is done for a certain amount of time each day, and only for this time, then I doubt there's a problem.
   The problem is getting the 12 year old to stick to this time 'limited' frame!  If you can do that, why not? Ours is a very virtual world isn't it?

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      AustralianNappiesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your response Goodlady, you have made some very useful points!
      It's lovely to read everyones opinion and suggestions about this subject.

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5. 63

   mysticalroseposted 11 years ago

   With world turning into small global village, I think social networking for 12 years old is not young. Some I know starts earlier. However, with every good thing comes bad thing so as a parent its most important to monitor and guide your child to use the network account or internet for good use. Most important part in every growing child is a good guiding parent. It is not about network account, it depends on every gadgets you are providing for your child. I think everyone should keep in mind that while providing gadgets and access to online things you have to be firm in your rules and advice your child.

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   r4rohit81posted 11 years ago

   Noooo..... The more early people get into stuffs, the more early they get to explore and experience things....

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7. 48

   padmendraposted 11 years ago

   It is the time when a child plays, eats, enjoys with the family and goes to the bed after he is tired. I think the child aged 12 years is yet to mature and let his mind develop more to be familiar with the networking. Forcing him to have social networking accounts at the age of 12 will be too early and bad for his mental health or considered morally wrong

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      r4rohit81posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Definietly, forcing a 12 year child to have a social network doesn't make any sense.... But, it's not about forcing, it's about if he/she has it, is it too early....??

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   nancynurseposted 11 years ago

   No but I do believe parents need to be aware of what their children are doing with these websites and how long they are spending on their computers,iPhone, etc. Check history. Know their log in passwords. Children of this age are still very naive.

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      r4rohit81posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      And for this better the parents be very friendly with the child's activities on their social networks.... And should guide  them as a friend, so they do not take your advice or suggestions as a restriction.. Right????

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9. 91

   Msmillarposted 11 years ago

   No, but parental guidance is important in teaching the twelve year old how to navigate the social scene, how to block certain people and posts and what posts and people should be blocked.  I find my kids turning to me often about what a post means or what it's inferring and I find it a great time to educate them on pos. vs. neg. personalities and how to deal with them.  It's all a part of growing up.

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    Becky Katzposted 11 years ago

    With constant monitoring of them while they are on there and with the highest privacy settings, I don't think it is too young. I would limit it to something like an hour a day though. They still have many things they need to be doing other than playing on a social site. They need to get out and play for real, get some physical activity in. They also have schoolwork and time with their families. This will make them well rounded.
    Make sure you give rules as to what is acceptable and what types of things that they should not share. Some of the kids on my daughters evidently have not been given a list of rules. We discuss them and what the problems are with sharing photos of a personal nature and why they should not tell what their address or phone number are.

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       AustralianNappiesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for sharing your own experiences regardging this topic!

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    shanmarieposted 11 years ago

    I cringe at the thought, yet they are everywhere.  My 7-year-old knows how to go set up his own email and Facebook accounts.  So, instead, I have found it best to just monitor who he has on his friend list and to keep up with his passwords so that I can see for myself what he is doing and to whom he is talking.

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    duffsmomposted 11 years ago

    I don't like the idea of social networking account, but in today's world I suppose it is inevitable.  I think children need computer time on a family computer in a family area. Kids 12 are inclined to begin pulling away from family and providing them TV's computers and other entertainment devices only adds to the time they want to spend locked away. 
    
    If a parent supervises, I guess it might be okay.  But time on the computer or those sites needs to be limited.

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    Neinahpetsposted 11 years ago

    Personally I think that kids today have way too much freedom.  Freedom is good... not parenting and allowing the world and media to do your parenting is another.
    
    Seeing kids in the elevators on their "smart phones" while back talking their parents or wandering the city streets alone at age 8 or 9.  It's really no wonder that young girls are getting pregnant and young kids are on drugs before they even hit their teen years. 
    
    I personally think that allowing a kid to go nuts online is just giving them an outlet to be wild.  There are just too many negative, perverse and outright NC17 content that circulates around Facebook and the like that a 12 year old really shouldn't be exposed to yet. 
    
    Privacy settings and restrictions are great.. and I would allow my child a Facebook at a certain age with the ability to lock it down tight and I would monitor his/her activity; however, kids are smart and knowing that my children would be akin to their father and myself... well, those settings wouldn't stop them from doing whatever they want as my family is very computer savvy.  It wouldn't be long before my security would be futile.
    
    Personally, I wouldn't feel all that comfortable with it until about 14 or 15, and even then I'd be wary.  Kids that young should learn real world skills and be outside and playing... not in front of a screen getting fat and lazy. 
    
    Why do you think so many children are dealing with obesity these days?  Video games and computers while munching on snacks is a quick way to a sad future.  I won't allow my children to go through that.  I will teach them better.
    
    In the end, I think parents today are too lax with what they allow their children to do and have...
    
    This is personal opinion and of someone who does not have children yet.   I am merely a southern raised woman who will be 30 this year and I can only think of my roots.  I was not raised with this kind of exposure and I see the difference in the 20 somethings who were exposed to things like that and I can just see where the kids who are let run wild are headed.

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    1. 85

       AustralianNappiesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for your vaulable input!

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