First off, in order to have a Facebook account, a child has to be 13 years of age. But, millions of kids under the age of 13 already have a Facebook, so that rule doesn't seem to really be working. So, what does a parent do when their child begs to start up a Facebook account. Or maybe they already started one somehow without you knowing?? Either way, the next step might be keeping them safe and teaching them digital citizenship, how to be responsible online, and internet and social network safety.
I did a poll in my 6th grade Life Skills last year involving technology and here some interesting stats that I found:
*92.2% of Carlisle 6th graders have a computer at their house they can use (this does not count hand-held devices that can go online)
*57.5% belong to a Social networking site such as Facebook, MySpace, and Ning, with nearly all of those students saying Facebook was where their account was.
*26% admitting to being an "online friend" of a person they did not know, did not talk to outside of school, or did not like.
*26% admitted to being bullied by someone using technology through IM, social network sites, chat functions, or through text messages.
*Only 38.1% said their parents review or would review their social networking posts or text messages.
*Only 34.7% said they tell or would tell their parents if they were being bullied or harrassed.
So, what does this all mean? It means your 11-year old is likely to on Facebook or wanting to be on it. Your 13 or 14-year old is VERY LIKELY to be on Facebook or wanting to be on it. And when using Facebook, they are very possibly "friending" people they don't know or only their friends know and it is also very likely parents are not checking in on their facebook to see how they are using it or what they are saying on it. All this can lead to some dangerous outcomes down the road and since these social networking sites are fairly new, very few people know the short-term and long-term risks of putting your life out for others to see.
The following link seemed to answer about every question I had, even questions my own mother has about Facebook. Give it a read and see if it answers your questions. Feel free to leave comments about your experiences or questions about this very important topic.
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