When Is Your Child Old Enough for Social Networking Websites

Social networking websites have become a lifestyle for a majority of teenagers today. Websites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace enable teenagers to socialize with friends and share pictures and videos. Other social sites have even gone as far as integrating games as a means of hooking users to them. Whereas, most of the activities that take place on social network platforms are harmless, they are not without risks. Positing a public profile can subject your child to a myriad of cyber dangers, for example, cyber bullying and internet predators. Before giving your son or daughter the go ahead to utilize one of the many social networking websites, its critical to make certain that they are mature enough to utilize them sensibly.

Assess the age limits for the website

Facebook and MySpace have age restrictions posted on their sites. So, how is it possible that are children under the required age are able to open an accounts? According to Pew Research Center, “More than half of online American children age 12-17 use online social networking sites

The two most well-liked social network sites presently are Facebook and MySpace. The minimum age requirement for registration of users is 13 years. This is not an indication that there are no 12 or younger that are currently utilizing the websites. Facebook and MySpace have age restrictions posted on their sites. So, how is it possible that our child under the required age is able to open accounts? According to Pew Research Center, “More than half of online American children age 12-17 use online social networking sites”. As such, prior to permitting your child to join one of the many social networking sites, make certain that they have attained the minimum age requirement. In addition, they ought to comprehend the possible risks they will be exposed to whilst using these sites.

No revealing of personal information

Make certain that your child understands the dangers of revealing his or her personal information, for example, cell phone number, home address, names and school. While filling a profile page, it’s highly recommended that one uses aliases instead of their real names. Furthermore, caution your child from adding anyone as a friend. Unless they are acquainted to them in real life, they should not add them to their friend list. They should know that online friends are not real friends as anybody can make-believe somebody they are not. At no time should they reveal their personal details online even if they know the person that is asking for them.

Long-term consequences

It is also critical to make certain that your child comprehends that the web is visible to everyone. It does not matter where they are. Anything that they post on their profile page can be viewed by every Tom, Dick and Harry that is on the internet. Most children think that whatever they post online is only visible to their friends, but in reality, anyone that is on the same network can view it. Make certain that your child understands that whatever he or she posts can even be seen by the school principle.

All said and done, the safety of your child hinges on the steps you have taken to safeguard them from online predators. For instance, make certain that the PC your child is using has been installed with reliable antivirus software. Moreover, constantly educate your child on the risks of using the internet and measures they can take to safeguard themselves.

As a parent you should know that Norton Antivirus Company which lets parents track their kids’ online activity said that the keyword “sex” was the 4^th top searched word in 2009 for children ages 8 to12, and “porn” the top keyword for kids 7 and under.

With this information in hand, we should keep an eye on what are Childs internet habits our and let’s take a moment to review how these Social Networking Websites may adversely affect our kids.