Do your 12yrolds use web cams?

[Mumkey]

Just getting into the teenager thing, got a nearly 13 dd and although been on MN before, never read the teenager threads...they're hilarious! What a great bunch mum's of teens are!
Anyway, dd desperate for web cam. We don't let her have a computer in her room, it's downstairs in the family room, so I kinda feel it should be ok, and she's promised she'll only use it to talk to friends. On the other hand, is it the thin end of the wedge? In a year or two will she be making excuses about why she has to talk to some random "friend of a friend" using the camera? Also we have 8yr old ds who's obviously going to want to be in on the act. Am I just being too cautious? Panorama the other week freaked me out a bit.

[littlerach]

When my sd was here over Xmas, she hooke dup our webcam to talk to jher friends.
I was a bit , but dh thinks I ma over worried.
She is 14 though, so I guess a bit older.
The whole thing freaks me out, tbh!!

[rantinghousewife]

I think as long as you drum into them the dangers (and I never let ds use ours until I was totally sure he understood), then it is ok. Especially if it is in a communual space, fwiw, he's 14 and I wouldn't let him have a webcam in his room but, in the study where we can walk through, I'm fine about it.

[Loshad]

We don't have one, but i'm aware i'm well in the minority amongst his pals/parents.
They can "talk" on msn without seeing each other as far as I'm concerned.

[MaureenMLove]

DD is 12 and we said no to a webcam. She's got a laptop, but I think she can wait for a webcam. Not really sure why tbh, but I just feel they can have too much too young I suppose!

[dolally]

We don't/won't have one. Invasion of our privacy - we reckon.

The kids are desperate for one but as far as I'm concerned, msn, hi-five and all the rest are quite enough to be going on with!

[RTKangaMummy]

NO my 12 yr old DS doesn't

[2shoes]

ds had one and I hated it. felt it invaded our space. so when it broke I didn't replace it.

[Psychomum5]

we bought one for our DD1 (13) for xmas.

she used it for chatting to her school friends on MSN, took some pics with it, saw how awful she looked (in her eyes), and stopped using it, all before new years eve!!!

was the quickest time for her to get bored of a pressie, and for once we we pleased.....and she thought she got away with it as I had said "no" and then relented!

worked quite well I thought

[glinda]

My daughter and her friends had a scarey experience without webcams. They were talking on msn to what they thought was a close friend, but it turned out to be an imposter who had somehow found out her password. This guy had obviously been observing their chat and had got familiar enough with their conversations to pose as one of the group! At first he started trying to stir up arguements in the group and then tried to get more info about where the girls lived etc. Now they always talk with their webcams on so that they know for certain who they are talking to!

[oxocube]

ds (12) has a laptop in his room and we do have a webcam (currently in the study I think) although he is not the slightest bit interested in using it. He and all his mates are more into The Simpsons and Top Gear than in chatting via webcams. I guess it depends on the child. A few of dd's friends use them at age 10 but again she hasn't shown any interest yet.

[Lulah]

NO nO no i have said no until 16 as i actually had a freak manged to watch my computer activity (which i know is rare)and the thought of my young uns posing all be it cheekily for their friends who knows who can watch.........too scary

[Mumkey]

Hmmm, thank you all. Seems to be quite a range of opinion out there. Was very interested to read about your experience glinda... had never considered that you could be safer with web cams than without. Is it possible for one of dd's friends to record her on web cam and then broadcast it? I guess it must be and that's what worries me as I would have no control over what information was getting out there. At the moment I'm definitely saying no. I agree with Maureenmlove that they seem to have so much, so young these days, plus I'm sure that the novelty will soon wear off and it will be yet more money down the drain!

[Tortington]

no no no no webcams - dont buy them - dont tempt the kids. kids are stupid and naive.