While 13 is the minimum age required to set up a Facebook account, lots of kids under this age set up accounts on Facebook and other social media networks by entering in false date of birth info.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Get Facebook
Social network has been shown to play an essential role in mentor kids life abilities for the digital age. Parents can help their pre-teens obtain important eSafety skills by being actively involved with their internet use on social networking websites that are exclusively for younger kids, such as Kidz World, Your Sphere, Togetherville and ScuttlePad.
But for pre-teens, Facebook simply isn't really appropriate.
If you're on the fence about assisting your pre-teen established a Facebook account, here are some compelling reasons pre-teens must not be on Facebook.
Helping your pre-teen create a Facebook account is helping them lie about their age.
Not only are you teaching your child that you think it's alright to inform a lie, you will be setting a risky precedent about which guidelines are "ok" to break.
The minimum age requirement remains in place due to the fact that Facebook wants to keep kids safe.
"We take safety really, really seriously and believe that educating moms and dads about safeguarding their kids online is as crucial about talking to kids about not opening the door to strangers or looking both ways before crossing the street," said Maureen O'Hara, Facebook-Corporate Communications.
If you teach your kid that it is okay to lie about their date of birth to access Facebook, then they could well think that it's fine to lie about their age to access other sites that are not appropriate for children. Teaching your kid about ways to be safe online includes mentor children to respect age-restrictions on sites.
Facebook exposes kids to adult material.
The minimum age of 13 was
deliberately set as a method to safeguard pre-teens from adult material. The bulk of Facebook's users are older teenagers and adults who might post suggestive photos or utilize improper language for your under-13 child to see.
Kids-focused social networking sites are a safe method for kids to be on a social network without the risk of them seeing improper material.
Secure your kids from cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying can have extremely damaging results for kids of any age, however is especially devastating for kids in the 6-12 age variety. Children at this age take words very actually and get criticism more personally. Combined with the permanence of Facebook material, pre-teens might be considerably affected by taking severe words very personally as well as handling content, like images, that live forever online.
Again, educating children about cyberbullying and showing them healthy methods to respond if they or someone they know are being bullied online will provide a strong foundation for when they do get on Facebook and other social networking websites.
Facebook for pre-teens can contribute to youth obesity.
Young kids have to remain active with unstructured play, outside time, and plenty of face-to-face interactions with other kids. Spending time on Facebook and other online activities diminishes this active place and may unlock to a more sedentary lifestyle, adding to childhood obesity.
Furthermore, researchers at Columbia University recently found that utilizing Facebook might be tied to obesity, for children and adults, due to the negative consuming habits that might arise from frequent visitation of social networking sites.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Get Facebook, So till kids reach the age of 13, it's finest for them to remain off Facebook and discover the best ways to be safe and make wise options online in other ways.