While 13 is the minimum age required to set up a Facebook account, many children under this age established accounts on Facebook and other social networks by going into in incorrect date of birth information.
How Old Should You Be To Have A Facebook Account
Social network has been shown to play a crucial role in teaching kids life skills for the digital age. Moms and dads can assist their pre-teens obtain important eSafety abilities by being actively involved with their internet use on social networking sites that are solely for younger kids, such as Kidz World, Your Sphere, Togetherville and ScuttlePad.
But for pre-teens, Facebook simply isn't appropriate.
If you're on the fence about helping your pre-teen set up a Facebook account, here are some engaging reasons that pre-teens should not be on Facebook.
Assisting your pre-teen create a Facebook account is assisting them lie about their age.
Not just are you teaching your child that you think it's alright to inform a lie, you will be setting a dangerous precedent about which rules are "ok" to break.
The minimum age requirement remains in location because Facebook desires to keep kids safe.
"We take safety very, very seriously and believe that informing moms and dads about protecting their kids online is as essential about talking to kids about not opening the door to complete strangers or looking both methods prior to crossing the street," said Maureen O'Hara, Facebook-Corporate Communications.
If you teach your child that it is fine to lie about their date of birth to access Facebook, then they might well think that it's all right to lie about their age to access other sites that are not appropriate for kids. Teaching your kid about ways to be safe online includes teaching children to regard age-restrictions on sites.
Facebook exposes kids to adult content.
The minimum age of 13 was
intentionally set as a method to protect pre-teens from adult material. The majority of Facebook's users are older teenagers and adults who might publish suggestive pictures or utilize improper language for your under-13 child to see.
Kids-focused social networking sites are a safe method for children to be on a social media network without the threat of them seeing improper content.
Safeguard your kids from cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying can have really devastating results for kids of any age, but is particularly ravaging for kids in the 6-12 age variety. Kids at this age take words extremely actually and get criticism more personally. Combined with the permanence of Facebook material, pre-teens might be considerably impacted by taking harsh words very personally in addition to handling content, like images, that live forever online.
Once again, educating kids about cyberbullying and showing them healthy ways to react if they or someone they understand are being bullied online will offer a strong foundation for when they do get on Facebook and other social networking sites.
Facebook for pre-teens can add to youth weight problems.
Young kids have to stay active with unstructured play, outside time, and a lot of in person interactions with other kids. Spending quality time on Facebook and other online activities detracts from this active place and may unlock to a more sedentary way of life, contributing to youth weight problems.
Furthermore, researchers at Columbia University recently discovered that using Facebook might be tied to weight problems, for kids and grownups, due to the negative consuming routines that could result from frequent visitation of social networking sites.
How Old Should You Be To Have A Facebook Account, So until children reach the age of 13, it's finest for them to stay off Facebook and learn ways to be safe and make wise choices online in other methods.