Should I Let My Kids Have a Facebook Page?

Every kid wants a Facebook page. But how many moms Like This?
by Jenna McCarthy on July 27, 2010

My sixteen year old nephew and I are Facebook “friends.” Since he lives 3,000 miles away, it’s a fun and easy way to stay in touch and follow what’s going on in his life.   

“Did you see the video A posted on Facebook this week?” my sister asked the other day.

“I did,” I told her. “It’s darling. I was going to comment, but I didn’t want to embarrass him.”

“Oh, please comment,” she implored. “I want him to know we’re watching him.”

She made an excellent point. I have used Facebook as a reconnaissance method to spy on current or potential babysitters, and more than a handful have been crossed off the list after they were foolish enough to publish self-incriminating photos or comments. Call me conservative, but the gal who’s bragging about her beer bong prowess or proving how great she looks in her new Victoria’s Secret unmentionables is not the person I trust to keep my kids alive while I enjoy a nice dinner out. 

My own daughters are too young to have or even want Facebook pages, but when they do I like my sister’s approach.  I’ll allow them on Facebook with a few conditions: I will have access to their passwords (you know you can selectively block certain people from seeing certain posts, right?) and at the first inappropriate picture or comment, the page gets shut down, no questions asked.

The only downside is I’ll have to start watching what I write on my wall.

Have you let your kids join Facebook? How do you monitor it?

 

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  • anonymous on 05/19/2011

    Initially I feel against it, and I see where you're coming from but it really seems like a two way street, I mean yeah it's dangerous because of all the pedos out there, but then again by having their children added, you can also see what they're doing on the internet(well facebook at least, and I'm pretty sure kids are on that alot), so that way you can kind of keep an eye on what your kids are doing, but also the dangers of creepy strangers almost outweighs doing that.
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  • anonymous on 06/08/2011

    I have barely come to terms with the idea that someone at a school thought it appropriate, wise, or even sane to spy on kids via Webcams on school-issued laptops. Has technology really taken over human thought processes quite so much?So I temporarily lost the ability to spell my own name when I was confronted with the rather heartening news that a school principal has asked parents to get their kids away from Facebook and any other social-networking site.I don't know whether the emission of a show called "Jersey Shore" has enlivened school principals to the idea of imminent social doom, but Anthony Orsini, principal of the Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood, N.J., is clearly concerned about the children his school is accommodating.For he wrote an e-mail to parents asking them to be socially responsible by getting their kids away from Facebook, MySpace, and every other heinously gratuitous social-networking site.
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  • anonymous on 06/13/2011

    I let my oldest child join Facebook.
    I had spent the past two years telling him it’s completely unnecessary, it’s a waste of time, it’s more appropriate in high school or college, and that it’s just one more playground of vulnerability. I still hold every bit of this to be true.
    I am also, actually, very glad that he is on Facebook.
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  • anonymous on 06/23/2011

    I personally think that no one under 13 should have a Facebook profile . I made my Facebook profile when I was 14 so I was old enough to understand everything that was happening on Facebook. There are a lot of pedofiles on the web, and kids just don't understand the risk of it.Some girl could accept a friend request from another "little girl" that she doesn't know , and behind that profile there could be a pedofile so you never know. I personally don't think kids should have Facebook profiles out of those reasons,but it's just my opinion and I'd love to hear someone else's opinion.
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  • anonymous on 07/14/2011

    I love Facebook a lot. And I suggest everyone should have a facebook page. Facebook is a good social networking site, It's the way the 21st century communicates today. Grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision, if you will. There are a number of social networking websites that focus on particular interests, there are others that do not. It depends on people's interest. want to to thank you for this great information!! grey water recycling system

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  • janinapujol on 08/22/2011

    It’s nearly impossible in this day and age not to know about Facebook. Facebook is a social network site that started out strictly for college students and was available by invitation only. Now, it is a cultural phenomenon stretching across the globe. With more worldwide users than MySpace, Facebook has taken hold as undisputable leader amongst social networking sites. The only real griping we could do concerns Facebook’s lack of customization options. However, most users like the design and uniform feel of the site the way it is. Choosing between MySpace and Facebook is really a matter of interface preference and going to where your friends are. But, if you’re new to the whole social networking thing, Facebook is the place to be.
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  • anonymous on 08/31/2011

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  • anonymous on 10/26/2011

    yes they should have a face book

  • anonymous on 04/03/2012

    Good article!

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