Facebook for children

We used to have children in our school as young as 8 on Facebook, they just lied about their age and their parents condoned it.
It caused no end of problems in school and eventually, we had to contact Facebook and alert them to the fact that these were children's accounts. Also their settings weren't even private and anyone could get into their account.

I think its a terrible idea.

That's horrifying Marydoll - and exactly what I worry about. I'm lucky that my grandchildren aren't really allowed on any phones or tablets etc. but know there will soon be a time when they start asking

No,no and a thousand times NO

It's just a way of linking them to Facebook before they're old enough to make a choice between that and other social networks. It's the same reason banks do children's accounts. Catch them early and keep them.

However social networks are open to bullying and infiltration by perverts so this is a cynical move by Facebook. It's nothing to do with giving children something that they need and everything to do with getting one over on the competition and guaranteeing the next set of Facebook users. Do they really believe that a techno savvy child can't beat the 'parent's have to agree' part of the system? Of course they don't.

I, too, think it is a terrible idea. The whole business of children and social media cyber bullying keeps me awake at night. My GS’s teacher told DD that he was in a minority of children in his year who, at 10/11, didn’t have a mobile phone. I don’t think they will be able to resist his entreaties forever. He is already talking about the sites that his friends use - Instagram, snapchat and the like.

No absolutely

Absolutely no, but their not my children. I have my raise concerns with their parents for all the good it does. (I know my place and I’m staying in it.) My grandchildren confide their worries to me so all I can hope for is that if somthing untoward was happening I could go to their parents to nip it in the bud. I agree It’s a worry.

I think it’s a terrible idea,let them be children. I know we can’t hold them back, but some parents will not set the right security,and not supervise the children enough.I was shocked a few days ago while waiting in a shop, a young girl of about 10 /11 walked in with I presume her mum, she fluffed up her hair, pouted,blew kisses,into her camera on her mobile phone,lots of tapping on the key board,and it looked like she was posting this on a website.Mum took no notice. I was horrified.I know it’s what young people do,but to me it is dangerous, I do get concerned that young people need more education on safety before using and posting on any website.

To coin a phrase, NO! NO! NO!

My son and Dil are not on fb and my granddaughters wont be allowed either,but eldest granddaughter is 12 and on instragram which i think is like fb,can still get dodgy peeps on there

It is a really bad idea. My DGS1 at five just added a post to his mum's post to me.
So far it was just "helo" but he is picking up words fast and if his mum leaves her phone about, as she does, she will need to be more careful. I did suggest she put a password on her phone.

If it were up to me then I wouldn't have given my grandchildren a mobile phone until they were in Senior school. However, it isn't and all three have phones. We have had a long chat about being careful who they friend on the Internet (they also have laptops and internet games) and to tell either their Mum or me if anyone asks for their photo or contact details. So far it seems to have worked okay but my daughter does go through their phones at night once they are in bed to check messages etc.

It is up to us to make sure that our children have better things to do.

The people who make these things , don't care about the damage they do to children or even adults. All they are interested in is making money.

It's not just Facebook. I was responsible for internet safety education in my school and I discovered that some of the 11 year olds were posting videos of themselves on You Tube. These videos were filmed in their bedrooms on mobile phones and they gave away lots of personal information about themselves. This was despite all the internet safety education we were delivering. If you don't have parents backing you up, you are fighting a losing battle.
The only positive thing was that as result of the lessons we were delivering, some of the more sensible pupils alerted us to what was happening.

Too much electronic communication if you ask me! I wish schools would ban phones completely it would save an awful lot of heartache.

I agree with you all. Children should have better things to to do. They should be enjoying making friends in real life gaining social skills and enjoying the real company of friends.

No possible need for under 14 to have mobile phone of their own. I made my sons wait till they were 16. If they were going out and needed lift home we let them borrow old brick with no internet access.

It is parents who pay for the phones and all the accessories, parents who allow their children to use them, and parents who make a terrible fuss if they are confiscated.
There are so many good uses that mobile phones can be put to, it is wicked to think of young children being enticed onto facebook.
I used to worry about my children watching X-rated videos; how innocent that seems now.

I am afraid this is a Technological age and as such our children/grandchildren will be making use of the full array of social media.
Facebook, Snapchat spring to mind. To be truthful I couldn't name any other, but I am sure my young grandson could.
He plays Fifa 18 with people all over the world, so you wouldn't be able to curtail their contact.
All we can do is continually make them aware of the pitfalls and tell them not to divulge personal details.
my grandson even creates his own blogs on YouTube, as do others of his friends.
He is sociable but given the choice he is on his smartphone all the time until it is confiscated.
It kills the art of conversation, but I suppose as the kids get older I am sure that we must seem that bit more boring to them.

Upsetting to think how long are our children really children in the sense of the word.
If we deny them what their friends are being allowed what does that make we as parents out to be.?
It must be a nightmare and I can appreciate the difficulties parents must have. This age of mobiles, pc's and tablets allows us to reach our children in an instant with it however brings that we want to protect them against.