My oldest child—a boy—is ten years old and in fifth grade. He is smart and funny, creative and kooky, and an all-around great kid. He is much like me in many ways, one of which is a keen interest in both technology and being social. Last year, I created a gmail account for him so that he could communicate with his friends. He uses my computer, I have his password, and he knows that I can check it at any time. He only has a few friends he emails with, and they use it to make plans to hang out, or to discuss titillating topics such as Minecraft (I have absolutely no idea how that game works, but all three of my kids love it).
A few of his friends also have Facebook accounts. Facebook! Have I mentioned that he's ten? He's TEN. I can find Facebook overwhelming and I'm ... a couple of decades past the age of ten. I honestly don't think that a kid his age needs to be on Facebook. He still builds LEGO creations, he will spend hours on the trampoline with his siblings, he loves to read. The pull of technology is strong enough between Angry Birds and Minecraft; I can't imagine how much harder it would be for him to step away from the screen if Facebook were in the equation.
I know that Facebook's "legal" age is thirteen, but we all know that's easy to get around. (Gmail has the same age requirement, for the record.) One of his friends—we're friends with her mom and grandma—befriended both my husband and me on Facebook a few months ago. Some of the links that she shares is far beyond the range of being "age-appropriate." It makes me worry for her a little bit, and be even more hesitant for my son (and my other two kids, eventually) to be on there before they've graduated from high school. I know that's not a realistic age, but these are my babies we're talking about.
If more of his friends were on Facebook, I'm sure he'd put up more of a fight, but so far most of the parents we know feel the same way about it as we do. He starts middle school this coming September, though, and I have a feeling that more people he knows will be on it in the next few years. When we get to that point we'll have to decide if: 1. He's ready and mature enough for it and 2. I'm ready for my baby to be on Facebook.
I'd love to hear from those of you with kids approaching (or in) the teenage years. Are your kids on Facebook? How did you know that they were ready? How did you know that YOU were ready?
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