An appropriate age for children to get cellphones, email and Facebook …
Dear parents
This whole week I’ve been blogging about children, and so I figure this is as good a time as any to ask you the question: “What do you think is an appropriate age for children to get a cellphone, email address and / or Facebook profile?”
I ask because of recent experiences with some of the kids I’ve photographed. One of them, at age 11, came across as much older and worldly-wise than a 13-year-old I photographed a week later. When I told the 13-year-old she could use the pics on her Facebook profile she replied that she didn’t have one. She didn’t have an email address either.
It seems to me from this experience and others that children retain their naïvety (for want of a better word) longer without being exposed to the afore-mentioned social media. Am I right? Am I wrong? Has it got anything to do with social media at all, or just how the children have been raised?
As a parent, in your opinion, do you think it’s dangerous for children to be exposed to these things too early? Indeed, are they as necessary as society tries to tell us they are?
What do you think?
Signed, the photographer
Hello, I really enjoyed this post as I have had some recent issues with the topic. I am 22 and I do not have any kids, however I feel very strongly against youth having Facebook pages, mostly those under the high school level, but to me the longer they hold off, the better. As far as email goes, a person doesn’t really need one until middle school or high school, which I think is fine and as for cell phones I feel the same. Back to the Facebook issue, I think there is too much out there that the kids are going to be exposed to. Yes, of course it will also depend on the parent’s actions such as putting up parental locks and having their child’s Facebook username and password to manage their usage. Just recently a family friend’s nine year old daughter obtained a Facebook and added me along with other family and friends, however I declined and she continues to ask me to add her. I just tell her that I will not add children. I will not add children because, not only do I believe they should not have one, but they are adding their parents and their parents friends, whom I am also friends with and the posts are not always appropriate for someone so young. I have a few high school aged teens on my page, which I am still weary about and have to regulate what I post. Besides my own personal reasons, there are two other main reasons why they should not have Facebook’s so young. First is cyber bullying and online conflicts. Students (some even at the high school level) don’t realize the consequences of things that can be said online. Prime example, the one high school student I am friends with on Facebook, was posting negative things about one of her friends from school. Irresponsibility and immaturity. Second reason is social consequences. We are coming to a world where technology is the way, I am a Graphic Designer, so I know this first hand and I think a child that grows up on Facebook and cell phones is going to have less social interaction and it may affect their personality. This is purely opinion, I have no research on the topic (this might actually make for a really great study though). And lastly, sorry to babble on so much about this, I want to comment on children being naive longer without the use of social media. I think it depends a lot on how the child is raised. I am not really sure where social media plays a role in whether or not a child grows up naive, but I will say this; when I graduated high school Myspace was the big thing. I didn’t have one until I was 18. I was always the shy and quiet one in high school, but I was by no means naive. I knew what was going on in the world around me and I was very mature for my age and I didn’t need a Facebook or an email to get me like that. Facebook is a great for keeping updated with family and friends and is a marketing tool that should be taken advantage of by businesses. This is just my opinion on the matter, I am interested to read what others have to say! =]
A cell phone is not needed for a child that is nurtured by a parent daily. Why does a child need a cell phone, if you are with your parents, or guardians all the time? There are those parents who say, well what if I am running late picking them up from school, and my child needs to know where I am? Well, guess what, they can borrow one of the many cell phones their friends have to call you. I feel social media opens children to a world they do not need to become privy to, until they are ready. Why does an 11-year old need 24-hour access to the internet through their data plan on their phone? A child will grow up soon enough to experience all the world has to offer, and then some, why be in a hurry?
build a strong base so it stands every storm then age will never matter…
One in 40s might be risked to media falls more than an early teen;
age isn’t a judge but conscious is..
Hey …. I believe that parents far too easily or readily allow their young ‘uns to get a cellphone – they can then be exposed to content which is definitely not age appropriate and can find themselves in situations that are dangerous. Even when parents believe they are monitoring the usage etc. the kids are inquisitive, add to that peer pressure and sure enough they see things no adult should see – never mind a young, innocent child! At the school where I teach – cellphones are the norm – it is anti-social, distracting and teaches them to write very poor English as it’s all mxit language etc. and to spell really badly tooooo! In class it’s a constant battle to get them out of the habit of cellphone ‘language’ and to write and spell correctly!
Not only does it lower their capabilities but it also costs the parents money as they have to fork out airtime etc.
It really makes no sense to me and I feel that parents use it to pander to their kids to show them that they love them instead of telling them.
Phew….I really got that off my mind – thanks for giving me the opportunity!
I think there are many factors pushing our children to grow up too fast and social media is (or can be) just one of them. My ten year old recently asked me when she could have a cell phone. Evidently a couple of her “friends” have them. My answer was when she is old enough to pay for it herself!
I suppose circumstances may arise causing us to allow a phone earlier than that, but considering the fact that my husband won’t carry one because he can’t justify the expense…highly unlikely!
I tend to agree with you. As I tell my children – why should they have a cell phone when I do not have one. In addition, they live in a safe environment so there is no necessity that they have one.
I bought a cell phone for my son when he was 12 years old – not because he begged for one, but for my own peace of mind … so that he could call me when he missed the bus or was late from school or seeing a friend. He will be 22 in April and only started Facebook about a year ago. He’s not very fond of social media as he told me, he just uses it to display his photos (he studies photography and graphic design).
I think 22 is about the right age
.
There is a reason that Facebook has an age restriction. Children ned to be mature enough to understand how to use the social media appropriately. To add to this, parents should take it upon themselves to teach their children how to avoid the predators that can be found through the social media. We should ensure that there privacy settings are set correctly. Children also should be made aware of the bullying that may occur over facebook and how this can be averted.
I believe children shouldn’t have or even need a facebook page until they are much older – They will see their friends every day at school any way. I think social media can be very dangerous to children and parents should try and keep them away from it as long as possible.