Face book at 7???

[bjrose]

A person I know has a DS only a few weeks older than my DD1 & he has a face book page of his own!!
Seriously? I personally think thats waaaay too young!
I'm not a fan of the person herself. We've never really gotten along & I still wonder why she added me.
His profile is somewhat private, I can only view his photo & friends, but I really don't think its right...
Am I just too over protective? I know boys & girls are different, but you still have to be careful & you could monitor it, but I still don't agree.
Would you if your 7 year old asked? My DD1 has no clue what FB even is & I'm on it all day long!

[Tinks]

No. My kids want their own FB page, they like the games. I treid signing them up but they have to be 13 and I've told them I'm not lying about their ages to get one.

[ss_storm]

I think that is way too young as well! Should a 7 year old even really be using a computer?? I also thought there was an age limit to use facebook, 12 or 13 or something? Then again it probably wouldn't be too hard to get around the age restriction if there is one.

[Townsvillegirl]

I was going to say the same as Tinkerbell - FB has a policy that you have to be 13 yo or older to have a page. I agree 7 yo is waaaay too young. I think he would be awfully vulnerable to lots of stuff even with his privacy settings up. There wouldn't be many of his own peers on FB (if any) because they are all too young!

[Townsvillegirl]

Originally Posted by ss_storm

Should a 7 year old even really be using a computer??

They do information technology at school now. It is one of the Key Learning Areas and most kids start in prep. I think it is a good skill to teach them from early on, but using FB is a bit OTT.

[Astrolady]

Originally Posted by ss_storm

I think that is way too young as well! Should a 7 year old even really be using a computer?? I also thought there was an age limit to use facebook, 12 or 13 or something? Then again it probably wouldn't be too hard to get around the age restriction if there is one.

My 2 year old uses the computer!!

As for Facebook. Kameron who is 8 has never asked for a page. I let him play some of my games on my own Facebook page, and as many of my friends have seen Ashton my 2 year old has changed my Facebook status many times LOL.

I will not let them have their own page till they are old enough to do so within the Facebook rights.

[~*lilla*~]

You think that's bad... An aquaintance has a 10 year old girl who has a FB account. I know the girl and had a look at her profile (which was public might I say) and it had that she was interested in Men, and that she was 'in a relationship' I said to DH that I couldn't understand how her parents, who are on FB and friends with her,would let her have that, let alone allow her to have her profile public

[Dee]

My 7 year old daughter can work her way around a computer better than most adults I know. She can make all sorts of creations and stories and pictures and things is WORD 2007 version, can type letters, play games, do it all
They do all this kind of stuff at school. I don't see anything wrong with a seven year old using a computer!

[Astrolady]

Originally Posted by ~*lilla*~

You think that's bad... An aquaintance has a 10 year old girl who has a FB account. I know the girl and had a look at her profile (which was public might I say) and it had that she was interested in Men, and that she was 'in a relationship' I said to DH that I couldn't understand how her parents, who are on FB and friends with her,would let her have that, let alone allow her to have her profile public

That reminded me. My friend's DD was also 10 at the time and she has a FB page. She was a fan of "foreplay" Another friend also saw it and told my friend. She was horrified. I ended up pulling her DD aside (with her mum's permission) and asking her in private if she knew what Foreplay was. She said she didn't. I told her that her mum had logged into her account and removed all the fan pages that are not for age limit.

[Emmy83]

I created a join account for my DD who is 9. She has being on it since she was 8. My reasons behind it was so she could keep in contact with her Dad and his family which she rarely see's or hears from and that way she still have some form of relationship with them. She is closely monitored and has time limits (usally no more then 5-10mins). As its both our names on it and we both know the password I can see what she writes and who her friends are and won't let her confirm many people that request to be friends. For our situation I find it the best for all of us. She can keep in contact with the other side of the family who I can't stand, it means she has some form of relationship with them and they can't accuse me of denying them some sort of relationship with her. It has being the best solution for all of us. She has several friends on it her age and her cousins on her other side who are younger.
As for being on the computer I think its vital for their education and kids these days know there way around a computer better then a lot of adults. You do have to be very carefull. I once found my daughter laughing at a video clip on youtube of a lady giving a man a headjob. She didn't know what they were doing but thought it was funny all the same. She typed in something and somehow got that clip. And that was with me being in the same room so even with netnanny and other child protection software they can come across adult only stuff.

[Trillian]

I let my kids use the net and play online games on sites recommended by their school as well as the odd FB one as well as the arcade here, but I would never let them have a FB page just because there is so much crap advertised, not to mention dodgy sites they could click on downloading who knows what viruses on the computer. There just isn't a need for them to have it as they need to learn how to form RL social networks before they worry about online ones.

[jasp]

My 7yo can find his way around the computer pretty well.

DS1 (nearly 12) has asked for a Facebook account & I have told him no. I understand that he just wants to play the games on it, but there is a lot of rubbish on there I don't think he needs to be exposed to just yet. Maybe next year... I'll decide then
DD1 got MySpace at 13.

[anney]

I actively discouraged my 7 year old DD from using the computer when she was little but children seem to be "drawn" to them. Computers are a natural part of their world like books were when we were grwowing up. Our school now has 'interactive whiteboards" in every classroom so even at school everything is electronic. And my DD would rather be on the "Club Penguin" site than watch TV these days.
So I can sort of see that Facebook is the next step but I agree it is far too young. Too much content that is too old for them. But having said that I think Emmy83 is using it in a great way.

[mrsmac]

My kindergarten class all use the computer at school, they are quite proficient at the internet as we teach them in computers.
I won't let my 9 yr old have a fb page despite her begging. Her older sister has one and its a worry at times LOL.

[rhyb]

I find my almost 15year old sisters fb a bit troubling at times. I dont think its something for young kids but thats me. If properly monitored it could be (for game content and networking with family and friends) but Im not prepared to take that risk (not that I have this issue yet with 16month old DS lol)

[bjrose]

Yeah, both my girls use the computer. Both play onine kids games. Nick Jr is great for DD2, DD1 is more paper doll dress up things
I let them chat to my sister & SIL on my MSN, but I'm not even sure I'd let them on fb etc at 13... I really don't know. Its a long way away, but I do feel that 13 is too young. (Depending on the child I guess)
My SIL has bebo & loves it. Its more for the younger ones that I can see. Say 13 up. I'd allow it at maybe 15? I have it, but don't use it coz I think it is too young. There isn't the same crap thrown around that there is on FB, but then you get PM's offering you porn site things.
I'm not keen on any of it, but I know my 7 year old won't be getting her own FB for a loooong time yet!

[Lady Zaidie]

DS has a facebook page, has had for about two years. I lied about his age.

It's so I can share photos easily with family on the other side of the country and he's also friends with some of my friends who live a distance away and one of his old Nursery Carers who now works in the other building so doesn't get to see DS, whom she loves. And his Godmother too.

BUT having said that, DS doesn't actually go on FB. Just me logging on as him. I wouldn't let DS near it!

[Inertia]

My four eldest all have a FB profile. They love the games and frankly, FB privacy and security settings are better than Bebo and Myspace - the other two places they could play those games. You can't even find my two youngest by searching for them and their names are linkless black text on mine and my families profiles. The youngest two barely know how to navigate FB and ask me to bring up the game they want anyway.

When it comes to what they are doing online and keeping them out of trouble, I use keeping the computer in a 'communal' room and Live Family Safety.