Facebook for under 13s
May 29th, 2011 at 1:00 pm by David FarrarAmelia Wade in the Herald reports:
Parenting and internet safety groups have welcomed Facebook’s move to alter the site’s regulations to permit children under 13 to join.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg told an education forum in the US that he wanted to allow 10 to 13-year-olds to use the social networking site as a “study tool”.
He assured that the company would take a lot of precautions to make sure younger kids were safe.
NetSafe chief executive Martin Cocker welcomed the move and said many children in that age bracket were already using the site.
“In a way, Facebook specifically acknowledging that those children are there is probably a good thing because that then means Facebook needs to think about the environment being suitable for children of that age.”
He said children under 13 were already using the site by using a fake birthdate. So when Facebook formally allowed them to make profiles they could set restrictions for pre-teens.
“It’s quite responsible of Facebook, really.”
I agree it is a good idea. Millions of kids are already on Facebook. I know a seven year old who has her own Facebook page, and she has around 60 friends, all pretty much her own age.
Better to realise the reality and create a kids-friendly area for them, than pretend they are not there.
Tags: Faccebook
May 29th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Its crazy the amount of young kids who have hundreds of friends on there, parents should mointer their kids facebook and make them delete people they dont know.
Vote:May 29th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Sounds like a one-stop shop for paedos, IMO. Fish in a barrel, etc.
Vote:May 29th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
I am kind of surprised by your stance on this David.
Having kids on social media like this will do only one thing, it will ensure that it morphs into a forum for children and childish adults.
Actually, scratch that, it all ready is.
What the hell is wrong with kids being kids and adults being adults?
Vote:May 29th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
DPF said…
Millions of kids are already on Facebook. I know a seven year old who has her own Facebook page, and she has around 60 friends, all pretty much her own age.
Facebook, twitter, social network are time-wasting for kids. The amount of time spend on internet would have been much better spend on playing legos because it builds their creativity.
Computing/electronic technology has exploded exponentially in the last 30 years or so, but kids achievements at school doesn’t reflect this. It barely goes up. Even if there is an uptrend, it is statistically insignificant (indistinguishable from noise). I’m not sure that throwing in technology (such as some schools are currently providing laptop for every kid – so they can spend more time on Facebook) is going to lift their achievements.
Any teacher here that has a view/opinion on this? Where is Bill Bennet when we need his insightful opinion about how school curriculum should be taught?
I reckon that we pampered our kids too much these days. They’re being allowed to play computer games (all day for some). They’re being supervised at the playground (I mean 9 or 10 year old kids where some parents still watch them play at the playground), walking/driving their kids to school (even the school is just a kilometer away) from their homes, etc, etc, etc,… I know one 10 year kid where his mum is still tying his shoes for him. Kids (9 or 10 year olds) are not allowed to walk to the corner dairy to buy milk or even an ice-cream because it is considered dangerous (there is a naive belief there may be pedophiles hangin around the dairy). Believe me, if this sounds paranoia, but I can tell you that there are parents at my neighborhood who think/act this way.
Vote:May 29th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
The computers in the local public libraries here in christchurch are full of kids, many of whom are clearly primary school age, using facebook (when they are aren’t hogging the computers playing games). I’m puzzled about the claim in the quote however. If kids are using fake birthdates to get past current restrictions then how will they set restrictions on pre-teens?
Vote:May 29th, 2011 at 6:08 pm
Ah yes you licenece away your every image and thought to an information-gathering facility that has links to the CIA and US Government – just check out youtube ‘The Truth about Facebook, before you send your little ones into the arms fo the Great satan . . .http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=B37wW9CGWyY
I’m just saying, that’s all.
Vote:May 29th, 2011 at 7:42 pm
Surrounded by actual adults at the e-G8 internet forum in Paris, Mark Zuckerberg has changed his tune on wanting kids under 13 on Facebook. Apparently all that stuff he said last Friday was “taken out of context.”
“We’re not trying to work on the ability for people under the age of 13 to sign up,” Zuckerberg said when asked about the issue at the e-G8 Internet forum in Paris Wednesday. Zuckerberg said comments he had made at a conference last week at an education conference, when he said regulations made it difficult for children to sign up for Facebook, had been taken out of context.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110526/wr_nm/us_facebook_zuckerberg via http://www.hardocp.com
Vote:May 29th, 2011 at 11:10 pm
Lee, the one on the side of the page is funnier
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May 30th, 2011 at 9:03 am
I’ve already posted the following message on GD, but I think that it is very important, since some parents are very naive in mistaken that the more time their kids get access to the internet/facebook/twitter, the better they are in terms of educational development.
An excellent article first pointed out by commentator Lee. C on another thread from last week. The best part of the comment from an expert for the reason of why students’ have low achievements is :
“Schools are inheriting an overentertained, distracted student,”
Many Nations Passing U.S. in Education, Expert Says
I think that parents of children under 13 should not allow their kids to register with Facebook/twitter or even use the internet, because it doesn’t add anything to their development. What it adds is bombarded them with over-entertainment where they become distracted when coming to their schoolwork. Here is a fact. They (kids) are in Facebook in the first place for entertainment reason and nothing else.
NetSafe chief executive Martin Cocker should run a campaign and encourage parents to ban their kids from using the internet for entertainment. What I see is that Martin Cocker and his organization is promoting the idea that kids should be guarded when they go on the internet. In other words, they’re endorsing & encouraging parents to allow their kids on the internet to waste their time there. It means that kids will get more distracted.
Vote:May 30th, 2011 at 9:05 am
Facebook blows. Most overhyped internet fad ever.
Vote:May 30th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
thankyou Mary I shall check this out on teh work computer tomorrow as it’s faster than mine.
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