Children using facebook

[Rhye]

Some of the children I used to teach added me on facebook. I accepted the respect because I miss them and love seeing them grow up. However, I read their posts and I am beyond upset. There is one who posts certain things and pictures that are not appropriate. The other three girls have their mothers as friends and I can tell they are monitored by their parents, however this one, clearly is NOT!

I don't believe children that young should be using facebook much less writing, posting, and saying things that will bite them in the butt later on.
I talked to another teacher that I worked with about this but its really out of our hands now, cause we don't see them in person anymore and I don't know how to get in contact with her parents.

What to dooo???

 

[Verve]

Most public school teachers are advised to not "friend" students until they are 18.
Probably for similar reasons. If you are close to the family it's probably hard not to say something to the parents but I don't think kids belong on FB without parental supervision.

Though I don't think kids need to be on FB. Social networking at that age should consist of learning/developing the face to face and phone to phone skills required in the real world.

 

[Rhye]

Edit:

I thought about it and defriending is the best thing. Thank you!

 

[mina]

I don't think you can do anything about it, except unfriend. I will not friend any students of mine or parents of those students; I don't care how close I was to them. The only exception was my niece , who is like my little sister. And we were close family before she was ever a student at the school I taught at.

 

[Wren]

Edit:

I thought about it and defriending is the best thing. Thank you!

Good idea. I have a personal policy of not friending minors, even family members. I am uncomfortable with children being on FB and, if FB still exists in several years, do not plan to allow my child(ren) to have a FB account. I realize some people say that it's better for them to have a parent supervised one than for the the kids to go behind the parents backs and create one, but I guess I'll take my chances.

 

[Mrs. Luther073082]

I made a similar thread 2 years ago in the singles forum: http://www.christianforums.com/t7511275/

 

[Wren]

Oh, I posted in that thread. Unfortunately, since then, several of my young cousins have FB accounts. They appear to just use them for games, and parents are friends, but I'm not thrilled with the idea. It seems to be the hot new thing with kids that I know. Many parents from my hometown have children with FB accounts. I guess I'm just more strict than most. (Of course I say this as someone who has yet to birth any children.)

 

[whitebeaches]

you can opt to hide all their posts. that way you cant see them. children should be monitored by their parents for sure.

 

[JRSut1000]

Does FB have an age restriction? I thought they used to, now I'm not so sure. It's funny (not humorous) when I see parents making FB pages of their toddlers, can you say WEIRD? At least I think it is. But yeah, most teens cant handle FB yet and there is a lot of inappropriate content available on FB to minors (FB cant handle every single infraction). I didnt get sucked into FB until my college roomie told me I wasnt cool if I didnt, haha. That was in 2006! FB has changed a lot since then!

 

[Mrs. Luther073082]

I'm pretty sure it does have an age restriction.

 

[Rhye]

I believe its 13. Even some parents make accounts for their young children who are like 4 or 5. I don't get that either, really.

Thank you all for your thoughts, I feel better just taking them out.

 

[Thunder Peel]

I'm an adult and even I don't like using Facebook that much.

I agree that young children really have no business having a FB account. Until they're at least high school or college age it's pretty unnecessary and even dangerous.

 

[Blank123]

I really think its odd for children (under highschool age) to be on social networking sites.

I've seen so much nonsense online that if I ever do have children of my own, they will be closely monitored online. I will never understand parents who don't teach their children how to be safe online and who don't care what they're doing or who they're talking to :/

 

[JRSut1000]

Some parents are just really trusting of their kids (and what parent doesnt want to be?), so much so that they have no clue what is really going on.

 

[InfinityandBeyond]

It is possible to get in trouble for friending former students on facebook.
I know this is upsetting to you, but you may just want to unfriend her. If she asks why you did then clearly state that what she is posting is innappropriate and that is why you unfriended her.

I heard facebook might be dropping their age to 13. I am appaled at this idea, although I do know children younger who have facebook. Some girls in the junior high youth group I lead do and I moniter their posting carefully. My cousins did at a young age to talk to me and their mom and I made sure to set very limiting rules, they were really only talking to me. Now with all the pages and the number of kids joining its harder to do that.

 

[Wren]

It is possible to get in trouble for friending former students on facebook.
I know this is upsetting to you, but you may just want to unfriend her. If she asks why you did then clearly state that what she is posting is innappropriate and that is why you unfriended her.

I heard facebook might be dropping their age to 13. I am appaled at this idea, although I do know children younger who have facebook. Some girls in the junior high youth group I lead do and I moniter their posting carefully. My cousins did at a young age to talk to me and their mom and I made sure to set very limiting rules, they were really only talking to me. Now with all the pages and the number of kids joining its harder to do that.

Facebook's age limit is already 13. They are discussing making it even lower, with parental supervision.

 

[wholigan11]

Yeah it has an age restriction. You're supposed to be at least 13 years old and supposedly if you're not 13+ your account is supposed to be deleted but I know several under the age that are on there and getting away with it.

 

[Inkachu]

I don't believe ANYONE under 18 should have any unrestricted internet access, period. I think it's OK if kids are given restricted, monitored, family-friendly accounts with the proper precautions. I also have friends and relatives whose kids are on Facebook, and it makes me very wary. Even if their parents "monitor" their pages, they can't monitor every conversation, every comment or picture exchanged, etc. Kids can post and delete stuff faster than a parent can see it. My son is nearly 12 and thankfully has never even asked to be on Facebook or any other internet social site; he has a very restricted account on the computer that allows him to visit specific sites and play games for a limited slot of time each day, and that's it, and he's fine with it. If he asked for a Facebook account, I'd gently tell him no, and explain why.

Ethy - as for your situation... since you aren't her parent, and you can't control what she does or doesn't do online... you have a unique opportunity to reach her. She's given you the trust of making you a "friend" on FB. That allows you to keep an eye on what's going on with her, so you can offer advice, encouragement, wisdom, and understanding. Your influence on her, as a godly woman, may be a lot more powerful than you think, even if you don't see any changes in her immediate behavior. I DO understand those who would be cautious and tell you to just "unfriend" her, but I guess from my point of view, the idea that YOU might be the only godly, mature, safe adult female influence in her life (that she welcomes in like this)... that's something I wouldn't pass up. But that's just me.

 

[r035198x]

I don't think that anyone should be on Facebook, so no, kids should not be on Facebook.

 

[Peter Brown]

I understand the risks involved in allowing your children to use Facebook but I just think it is impossible to isolate our kids from the digital world nowadays. That is why we came to an agreement with my sons. I'd allow them to use facebook BUT they would let me install a parental control tool onto their PC's. I installed one called Qustodio which is free, there are lots of other alternatives out there but most of them are not free. Anyway, the point is that sooner or later your beloved ones will take some risks while surfing the internet so I definitely advice other christian members to install some free parental control tools onto their PCs.