Sugarfoot Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 In my opinion, for whatever it's worth, a seven-year-old has no business on Facebook. Please feel free to completely ignore this. I just had to say it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 I was surprised that an 8 and a 5 year old in a family that I know have Facebook accounts. It seems... risky and inappropriate. They are totally unsupervised with it, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 I think a 7 yo shouldn't even know what FB is. Mine doesn't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIS0320 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 My 6 year old has no idea what FB is or who Justin Beiber is. Thank goodness! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alenee Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 We have a friend who signed her 6yo up with an account so she could play the games. I'm in a place where I am learning not to have an opinion about what others are doing. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakarimom5 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 My children are begging for a FB account. They can keep begging until they are older than 14 which is the youngest that FB will allow you to have one. I refuse to lie so my children can do something "everyone else" does. I also have said this in front of parents that allow their children to have a FB page. Lying is wrong and that is what I'm trying to teach my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktkcb Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 ITA. I make my kids wait till 18. I know...torture. I am sort of relenting, tho. My middle dd will be 18 in 1.5 wks, and graduates next Friday. She was mercilessly hacking my fb page this week, so in desperation, I cut her loose ;o). I'm sure all her friends are relieved. She got her account last night, and I woke up this morning to her friend request on my fb, with the notation that she already had like 75 friends LOL! Talk about speedy networking :o). Not all teen friends, though. Mix of family, family friends, and other friends. I'm not worried about her in the least. But I made her wait darn it.....oh and how she begged and pleaded at age 16!! I was the worst mom in the world. No regrets here :o). Even with the occasional hack LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 I think a 7 yo shouldn't even know what FB is. Mine doesn't! Mine don't have FB accounts, but they know what it is. We often show them pictures of friends or cousins who live far away that have been posted. They also know that we post pics of them for the grandparents to see. Yesterday I took ds' picture. As soon as I took it, he said, "Can you put that on FB?" :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 I think a 7 yo shouldn't even know what FB is. Mine doesn't! Both my older kids know what FB is, and tell me that I should put something or other on FB. I used to let DS play that stupid flower garden game on my account sometimes, back before I deleted all that stuff. I don't believe either of them has ever asked for an account of their own, though. And I don't believe they know who Justin Bieber is. In fact, I don't think *I've* ever heard him, though I'm obviously aware of his existence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Woods Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 My 9 y/o has FB. She is allowed on it to communicate with family. Her only friends are family and my mom friends. She is not allowed on it without permission and supervision. I Log onto to it regularly to make sure nothing in appropriate is on her feed. It's set to private as well. If used appropriately I see no problems with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarawatsonim Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 My dd6 knows what Facebook is because dh and I both have accounts. She made of her sister the other day regarding Facebook. I thought it was quite funny.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Mine don't have FB accounts, but they know what it is. We often show them pictures of friends or cousins who live far away that have been posted. They also know that we post pics of them for the grandparents to see. Yesterday I took ds' picture. As soon as I took it, he said, "Can you put that on FB?" :lol: I can see that type of situation...it didn't immediately come to mind because we have no extended family who post pictures on FB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 My DS always wants to post stuff on Facebook. We live about 600 miles away from our closest family (others are father away), so it's the primary way we exchange pictures, videos, and small pieces of news. DS loves to have me post videos of him and DD and then see what his grandparents and aunt and great-aunts and great-uncles have to say in response. But, I wouldn't let him have his own account until he was 14, or whatever age FB allows you to make an account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 I totally agree with you! My dd8 & dd4 know what Facebook is, but that's only because they sit down with me every 2 or 3 weeks to look at the new pictures that our extended family has posted. That is the extent of my Facebook life!:D We don't even allow our older dd's (13 & 15) to have a Facebook account, although they have asked). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah C. Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 It is against the Facebook terms of service for a child under the age of 13 to have a Facebook account. Period. If parents want to give their children accounts, but the parents are the ones actually controlling their accounts (e.g. parent completely supervises child's actions on Facebook), that's one thing. If a parent sets their 7yo free on Facebook with no supervision, I think that's really dangerous. I wouldn't add either child, however - I post too much stuff that I wouldn't want a 7yo reading. One of my 14yo brother's friends keeps trying to add me on Facebook, and I refuse every time. :glare: I'll have my brother as my FB friend, but not his friends, mostly because I don't know them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovemyblessings Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Holy Cow! I typically enjoy these threads, but today they seem to be full of judgement. What on Earth does "knowing who Justin Bieber is" have to do with good parenting? Why shouldn't a child have a facebook page that is monitored by parents? We have a "family" facebook page that we share to keep in touch with our loved ones, and my 9 year old uses it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Holy Cow! I typically enjoy these threads, but today they seem to be full of judgement. What on Earth does "knowing who Justin Bieber is" have to do with good parenting? Why shouldn't a child have a facebook page that is monitored by parents? I don't get the Justin Bieber thing, either. I think the issue with a child having a FB page is that it's against the terms of service for somebody under 13 to have an account, whether it's monitored by the parents or not. At least I think so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy1k Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 My kids all have Facebook pages. And they know about, but don't enjoy listening to, JB. :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actuary Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 I think the issue with a child having a FB page is that it's against the terms of service for somebody under 13 to have an account, whether it's monitored by the parents or not. At least I think so. Yeah, it's against Facebook's TOS for somebody under 13 to have an account. According to their TOS they will delete any account if they find that the holder of the account is under 13. And according to their TOS, the minimum age in some jurisdictions may be higher than 13. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 I wouldn't let my kids join a social networking system on the computer until they were at LEAST the required age. No way. My SIL has a 10 year old son who wants to be my FV friend but I will not "friend" a child. Yuck and he has no business doing it, as far as I am concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy1k Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 And I'm "friends" with as many of my children's friends who ask me to be. It makes it easier to keep tabs on my kids and their friends. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Yeah, it's against Facebook's TOS for somebody under 13 to have an account. According to their TOS they will delete any account if they find that the holder of the account is under 13. And according to their TOS, the minimum age in some jurisdictions may be higher than 13. My ds waited until his 13th birthday to get an account so he would not have to lie to get one. I never would have allowed it anyways but I was proud of him for making that decision on his own when a lot of his friends had one at much younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 My children are begging for a FB account. They can keep begging until they are older than 14 which is the youngest that FB will allow you to have one. I refuse to lie so my children can do something "everyone else" does. I also have said this in front of parents that allow their children to have a FB page. Lying is wrong and that is what I'm trying to teach my children. I know someone who did allow the underage child to get a fb account. When said child was old enough, they tried to change the birth date to the correct one and couldn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Can I just say that....I agree! My ds11 loves farmville. He plays on my account with little access to my page. I log in, get him to farmville and he has fun. My friends all know that it's my son playing and try to send things his way that he would like. But his own account? No way. 15? Maybe. We'll jump off that bridge when we come to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 My kids don't have FB accounts. We haven't decided what age to allow it, but it will be late teens I'm sure. I was playing Frontierville and allowed ds to play along with me until the Kissing Tree came for Valentine's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actuary Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 2 of my cousins are on facebook and friended me and they are both under 13. It is kind of weird because we aren't that close and they constantly send weird game request stuff to me. But I pretty much had to accept their friend requests because it would cause major family drama if I didn't. I do love them though so it is good to keep in touch that way. But I just usually thought of facebook as a way to keep in touch primarily with friends my age so I still kind of wish they hadn't friended me...it just feels weird. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah C. Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Yeah, it's against Facebook's TOS for somebody under 13 to have an account. According to their TOS they will delete any account if they find that the holder of the account is under 13. And according to their TOS, the minimum age in some jurisdictions may be higher than 13. The reasoning behind this is COPPA, which has strict regulations about what private information can be gathered about children under 13 on the internet. Because of the nature of Facebook, they would be breaking COPPA all over the place if they allowed children under 13 to be on Facebook according to their rules. Mark Zuckerberg was quoted as saying he wanted children under 13 to be able to use Facebook, however. Don't have the link though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula in PA Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 We have a friend who signed her 6yo up with an account so she could play the games. I'm in a place where I am learning not to have an opinion about what others are doing. ;) My niece did this with my 7yo great-nephew. I decided it wasn't going to do any good for me to say anything. We have radically different parenting styles. My dd knows she won't be allowed until she's at least 13, probably older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarawatsonim Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I don't understand the listening Bieber=bad parenting thing either. If you have ever seen his movie you would see how extremely talented he is and how hard he works his butt off. My dd6 loves JB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I was sent a friend request from ds's 10 yo friend. He also linked to YouTube movies he took with his phone:confused: my kids are so not there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I don't understand the listening Bieber=bad parenting thing either. If you have ever seen his movie you would see how extremely talented he is and how hard he works his butt off. My dd6 loves JB. As one of the people who responded that their kids didn't know who JB was... I wasn't meaning to imply anything about parents who did. More that my kids live under a rock :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Yes I agree. I would not sign my kids up for a Facebook account before the allowed age, and not sure I even would then. My kids know what Facebook is and often look at pictures and things that friends and family post. I do not really have any friends on there that post offensive things. My ds has chatted with his cousin in Mexico a couple times through mine and my SIL account, but I was right there by him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 What? Way to young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisN in NY Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 In my opinion, for whatever it's worth, a seven-year-old has no business on Facebook. Please feel free to completely ignore this. I just had to say it. Not to mention having multiple accounts under a variety of fictitious with ever-changing names for a child under 13 (or over it for that matter). I'm not sure what the purpose of this would even be, unless the parent has no clue?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I do let my girls play Happy Pets on my Facebook account, but that's it. I'm also kind of surprised how many of my friends let their little ones have Facebook accounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted June 12, 2011 Author Share Posted June 12, 2011 I show my kids photos of family, etc, and grandparents will ask them things through my page. This is totally different. Said seven-year-old has been busily "friending" high school and college-age relatives. The conversations and content, language:001_huh:, etc., reflect that age group, and has absolutely nothing to offer a seven-year-old. I just don't get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmschooling Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Mine don't have FB accounts, but they know what it is. We often show them pictures of friends or cousins who live far away that have been posted. They also know that we post pics of them for the grandparents to see. Yesterday I took ds' picture. As soon as I took it, he said, "Can you put that on FB?" :lol: My kids either say..."you have to post that on FB!" or "Please don't post that on FB!" LOL We post for far away family as well, and we often catch up with them through FB chat and through pictures of each other. Our kids don't care to have their own accounts. As long as I include them on the catching up through mine, I assume it'll stay that way. They only see it as keeping up with family and close friends, no games, no craziness and I am strict about my friend list. ETA: My youngest siblings however, DO have accounts and they are only 2 and 4 years older than my oldest who will be 10 in a few days. I like keeping up with them, and I like seeing what they are into and who their friends are (fb stalking, anyone?) but I sometimes wish I didn't know so much! Kids these days! EEK!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest momk2000 Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I don't even want to be on Facebook. :tongue_smilie: I certainly don't want my kids on there. My 10yo dd knows of at least 2 kids in the neighborhood that have FB accts without the knowledge of their parents. All a child has to do is lie about their age, and voila! I think they should get rid of sites like FB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakarimom5 Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I know someone who did allow the underage child to get a fb account. When said child was old enough, they tried to change the birth date to the correct one and couldn't. I have a 12 yo cousin who is on myspace as being 100!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Agreed! I seem to be one of only two people we know locally who actually makes my kids wait until 13. My son who just turned 12 has badgered me, but I'm holding firm. It's bonkers to let these little kids on facebook! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 The rule is 13, and we'll be following that rule, period. I have a FB account, of course, and the girls know about FB because of the games. They love playing Petville and Cafe World, but it's always with me right over their shoulder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Well, depends on the family and also the older kids in the family. Mine had a FB account at 6; he played some games (FarmTown) and said hi to some cousins. Didn't cause a problem, here. Did I let him accept friends I don't know? Or have conversations with people? Nope :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 In my opinion, for whatever it's worth, a seven-year-old has no business on Facebook. Please feel free to completely ignore this. I just had to say it. Well, for what it's worth, I don't think *I* have any business being on Facebook. I'm not a fan. At all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Well, for what it's worth, I don't think *I* have any business being on Facebook. I'm not a fan. At all. :iagree: Me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Both of my children have FB accounts. We live almost 1000 miles from home and family. this is a nice way they can "talk" to each other. Plus DD likes the farm games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imprimis Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Well, for what it's worth, I don't think *I* have any business being on Facebook. I'm not a fan. At all. Yep. I've never had a Facebook account and (at least for now) I don't have any desire to have one. My teen does have a Facebook, however. I allowed her to make an account at 14. It's just not something that interests me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in OH Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I set up a Togetherville account for my 8 year old daughter so that she could stay in touch with some of her fair friends on Facebook. The two are compatible, but separate. Togetherville was designed for children too young for Facebook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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