Under 13s on Facebook/Social networking sites

Facebook is a major problem in school at the minute. Kids are stuck to their Blackberry and if they're not on BBM they're on Facebook.

We deliver lessons from CEOP regarding online safety and social networks but it doesn't seem to hit home until the school police liason copper is hauling kids in with the CPO about stuff that's happened on Facebook.

I think Facebook is great. I'd have used it at secondary school if it existed. But then I'm not a 13 year old girl in my belly top posting provocative images of myself on an unprotected profile...
 
This is just for the US. Almost every person I know with kids under 13 have their own FB page in this country. It seems its banned in the US and that;s what he;s trying to overturn.
 
I was once on a train opposite a bunch of 9-10 year olds who had been given a laptop and 3G dongle to amuse themselves on the trip. They spent much of the time playing with Facebook, in much the same way a kid of that age plays with a toy when bored - ie, trashing it. Sending cruel messages to other kids at school, etc etc.

Frankly they should be under 18's let alone allow over 13's.
 
Wicksta said:
Why is it that the more 'socially challenged' posters here seem to hate Facebook? Funny that. :D
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OT: I dislike Facebook but I tend to use the social networking site called "The Pub" instead. :p I have plenty of RL friends and would rather catch up over a pint, a cuppa, or at a gig/concert rather than talking on the computer, but then that's just me.

Last thing I want to do is sit at the PC all evening after a day at work! ;)
 
PianoBasher said:
OT: I dislike Facebook but I tend to use the social networking site called "The Pub" instead. :p I have plenty of RL friends and would rather catch up over a pint, a cuppa, or at a gig/concert rather than talking on the computer, but then that's just me.

Last thing I want to do is sit at the PC all evening after a day at work! ;)
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Doesn't really work like that though.

'The Pub' still happens as frequently as it ever would. It's just now, the details of the night are discussed on Facebook, someone's photo of them bog-hugging winds up as a profile picture etc...

Can't say Facebook has ever replaced an actual RL meet-up.
 
I loved being a kid, playing out, making dens, waterfights, riding so far from home on your bike you were worried about getting home before it gets dark.

It makes me sad these days that kids spend more time on their 360s and PS3s :(
 
I have Facebook, but pretty much because its the only way to communicate with some addicts these days, i get a reply quicker over Facebook then i do via text or email.

99% of the time it seems to me, however, that its just used as a platform to spew crap no one cares about or start arguments because its easy to be the hard man/girl over the internet.
 
PianoBasher said:
OT: I dislike Facebook but I tend to use the social networking site called "The Pub" instead. :p I have plenty of RL friends and would rather catch up over a pint, a cuppa, or at a gig/concert rather than talking on the computer, but then that's just me.
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As mentioned, it can supplement real life. I lived outside of the UK for 5 years and I have friends all over the world which I keep touch with, plus family in the USA and Canada. I can't catch up over a pint, cuppa or at a gig/concert with them.
 
Burnsy2023 said:
Why does everyone always assume that online social networking is to replace face to face relationships rather than supplement them?
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Although this might be true for adults, the same can't be said for children. Face-to-face interaction for children is paramount for confidence and a key stage development. The last thing you want is a child growing up without basic one-to-one social skills.
 
PianoBasher said:
Young children should be encouraged to form friendships and social relationships face-to-face in my opinion. OK, I have no scientific evidence to back it up, but I'm sure that allowing young kids to spend hours and hours on facebook is not going to help them deal with real-life social interaction.
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This.

Living your life behind a computer screen in no way prepares you for the realities of life. Even little things like reading peoples expression noticing things through the tone of peoples voice would all be missed by living your life through a PC screen.

Nothing wrong with kids using social networking when they reach a decent age (I don't really know what a decent age constitutes though, possibly 13) but the basis of friendships and even getting used to social interaction face to face HAS to be the most important.

Wicksta said:
As mentioned, it can supplement real life. I lived outside of the UK for 5 years and I have friends all over the world which I keep touch with, plus family in the USA and Canada. I can't catch up over a pint, cuppa or at a gig/concert with them.
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Same for myself. My primary way of staying in contact with my friends who live close is going out for a pint/curry/steak/watch the match or whatever else I don't think I have ever sent them a facebook message unless its organising a large social event of more than 10+ people, because I haven't got the time to ring every single person. However I have friends who live down London, across in the Netherlands, France, some in Eastern Europe and one or two even further afield. Its a useful little tool to be able to keep in touch with people and check how they are doing and then, whenever possible, meeting them face to face but for obvious reasons I cannot do this with great regularity.
 
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When I was thirteen years old it was jumpers for goalposts, Dungeons & Dragons and the A-Team on the telly, and Madonna was still sexy.

I honestly wouldn't have known what to do with bookface at that age. Kids grow up scarily quickly these days and it's a genuine worry I have for our little one. I was unironically asked by one of the women whose kid goes to the same daycare ours does whether her son should get a sunset red or a sea blue mobile phone. He's 3 years old this Sunday.

:(
 
Yeah but back then mobiles and other hand held comms devices were rare and not small.

Now children grow up seeing people on their phones all the time. My little girl (not even 1 yet) seems to want to play with our phones or the laptop more than her own toys, because she sees us using them.

Life has changed since we were children. the old boring argument "we managed without when we were young" means nothing these days.
 
ive got a super exiting job at a bowling alley which means i have to deal with kids parties on weekend, i noticed a few weeks ago that the party i was hosting for a group of girls, about 11 of them aged between 9 and 10 kept taking photos and before each one said "facebook pose" i found it odd but it didnt bother me that they had facebook untill one of them said "your such a **** on facebook" i was really taken back by it but her mum just sat there laughing her head off.

I think that anyone should be aloud facebook but for childeren under a certain age it should be checked by their parents!
 
Admiral Huddy said:
Although this might be true for adults, the same can't be said for children. Face-to-face interaction for children is paramount for confidence and a key stage development. The last thing you want is a child growing up without basic one-to-one social skills.
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I'm not arguing that face to face relationships aren't important. I'm suggesting that online relationships can supplement and indeed enhance face to face relationships. Organising of event etc are a good example of this.
 
when i was 12 i had a bebo account, some older man tried to chat me up and arrange a meet with me, i was going to go through with it until my mum caught on and deleted my account :(
 
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