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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Facebook (I know!) Profiles for Children.

56 replies

PaulAnkaTheDog · 12/08/2015 22:19

Thought I'd try and get some opinions on this. Was on Facebook and noticed my colleague had been tagged in photos on a family day out. The photo's were on a Facebook profile that belongs to her niece, who is seven. Yes, seven. A quick click on the girl's profile and I can see her pictures, comments from her parents and grandparents and can see where she has been 'checked in' to places.

AIBU to feel totally weird about this? It doesn't personally affect me, I know, but I have honestly never come across children having Facebook profiles. Profiles that must have been set up by the parents, or at least with their knowledge. I know it's massively unlikely that anything would ever happen to this wee girl but so much information is just there publicly! Down to her location at certain times.

OP posts:
GGabcd · 13/08/2015 09:39

Gee, it's not harming the child. It's not harming you. It's not harming anyone.

What's the fucking problem?

Perhaps the page was set up by their family so that they could easily see the memories when they're old enough?

Maybe by the time they are old enough they won't give a flying fuck about Facebook.

Lord knows my teenage nieces and nephews think Facebook is for old people.

Are you're lives so boring you have to troll other people's so that they act just like you?

Tempted to mention Hitler but it's too early for Godwin's law

VerityWaves · 13/08/2015 09:39

I think it's really awful.

Bellemere · 13/08/2015 09:42

Sadly not. They were on a laptop but that died and I just didn't think to download them from Facebook. I kind of consider them being on there as a sort of cloud back up (albeit poor quality). So yes, partly my fault for not keeping multiple copies but still spiteful of whoever did it.

As I said, exH set it up. I assume he intended to eventually hand over the controls to the children when we decided they were old enough.

Original poster
PaulAnkaTheDog · 13/08/2015 09:42

What the bloody hell are you on about? Good thing you didn't mention Hitler properly, it would have made your post even loopier.

OP posts:
knittingdad · 13/08/2015 09:53

We set up a facebook profile for my daughter when she was about ten, or so. Because we set it up, and knew the password, we were able to make sure all the privacy settings were set appropriately, and only a select few people were accepted as her friends.

We saw it as an opportunity to teach our daughter about the safe way to use the internet and facebook.

Hulababy · 13/08/2015 09:59

Yes FB has an age limit of 13. But then so does Minecraft when you set up an account. The legal side of that age limit is to do with a U.S. Law, not to do with actual age related content etc.

Parents make their own judgements on what is right and wrong for their child.

I personally let did have social media from secondary school age, starting with Instagram and she got FB at 12.5y But that was my choice and my judgement, and done with various e safety education and some restrictions on use including full privacy settings set and also 'no checking in' if out alone or with just one or two friends in an obvious location - or not doing it til you are just leaving.

Original poster
PaulAnkaTheDog · 13/08/2015 10:03

Minecraft has an age limit?! Pretty sure it didn't when I downloaded it for Ds and the shop bought one for consoles says 7.

OP posts:
AuntyMag10 · 13/08/2015 10:10

Why do people concern themselves over something that's not their business. You don't have to have an 'opinion' on it or feel anything, it's not your child.

Tiggy78 · 13/08/2015 10:15

I've set up pages for my two (ages 9 and 11). It's mostly as a sort of memory box idea. They'll get the passwords when they are older and can look back on pics and places we've been. The older one occasionally asks to see his but that's more to check in with a friend of his who emigrated and see his pics.

Original poster
PaulAnkaTheDog · 13/08/2015 10:16

AuntMag so do you not hold opinions on anything that doesn't involve you? I find that very difficult to believe. I didn't say I was reporting the profile, I was asking whether I was unreasonable by feeling uneasy at seven year olds social networking. I was also asking whether this was now the norm or on the rise. As a parent of a child under the 13 Facebook barrier I am interested as to whether he will end up pestering for one.

Fail to see the issue, if I'm honest.

OP posts:
GGabcd · 13/08/2015 10:25

Okay then.

YABU to feel uneasy about this.

Better?

AuntyMag10 · 13/08/2015 10:26

As ^ says.

Hulababy · 13/08/2015 10:32

paulAnka - it is Mojang and it is for the Minecraft accounts which I assume are the online versions of the game. But yes, on the website it says 13 in the terms and conditions to having an account.

browneyedgirl86 · 13/08/2015 10:33

Yanbu. I think it's a bit weird. A member of my family has had Facebook since he was 5. In the 5 years he's had it, it's caused a lot of problems.

A friend of mine has a profile for her two year old. It's been set up since he was in the womb. She posts as him regularly. Examples include "Just said thank you to my lovely mummy for another breastfeed"

She then comments back to him under her profile which is strange. I mean she's talking to herself!

Original poster
PaulAnkaTheDog · 13/08/2015 10:35

Much, thank you. Good to know that seven year olds posting photos of themselves on the internet and general social networking from a young age is reasonable...

Ggabcd One quick thing. You might want to check up on the meaning of 'troll', I don't think you're using it correctly.

OP posts:
Hulababy · 13/08/2015 10:36

I discovered this when I went on a computing course aimed at primary schools.

Under 13s can't have their own accounts because of the U.S. Laws regarding the storage of data online of minors.

It's madness obviously as Minecraft is often aimed at much younger.

yallahabibi · 13/08/2015 10:36

My dog has a Facebook page and he's underage unless you count it in dog years . I never really though about from a security perspective .
I hope he isn't a victim of Internet grooming ( though it would save me £50 the vet charges for a cut and wash ) .

Original poster
PaulAnkaTheDog · 13/08/2015 10:37

Hula ah right enough. I was sure that was just a login so you could download the game but I think you may be right. On the PC/MAC edition anyway. I think Pocket Edition was just a download and go.

OP posts:
Hulababy · 13/08/2015 10:38

account.mojang.com/terms

GGabcd · 13/08/2015 10:48

Okay.

MmeLindor · 13/08/2015 12:23

I agree with Knittingdad - setting up a FB (or other social media account) for a younger child is a great learning opportunity. We chose Instagram, because there is less abuse and graphic images, and it appeals to young kids more that Facebook.

My daughter is now 13yrs and has 2 IG accounts, one personal and one for her artwork. She gets feedback and praise from others on the art account, and it's helped her find new ideas and develop her skills.

Obviously, that is very different to allowing a child to set up a FB account and never looking at what they are doing online, but that is a matter of parenting not issues with social media itself.

BoredAdminGirl · 13/08/2015 12:31

Having an FB profile at 7 is as dangerous as having one at 13 if you ask me.

My exes neice had one aged 4....clearly made by the parents. WTF were they thinking

MmeLindor · 13/08/2015 18:00

BoredAdminGirl
Not really, because children are more sensible and experienced at 13yrs than they are at 7yrs. They have more impulse control, have (hopefully) talked more about using the internet, and have probably seen good and bad sides of internet usage.

I allow my 13 yr old an open IG account, which I wouldn't have done at age 7yrs, when she was only allowed a locked one, for family and friends to follow her. As you'd expect, she's matured a bit since then!

MaxieMouse · 13/08/2015 18:17

I can't see what the big deal is. There's a massive difference between children managing their own accounts, accepting friend requests, posting etc and parents setting up an account in their child's name so they can tag them in photos, post photos for the family to see, record moments of their lives.

shizzlesandglitz · 13/08/2015 18:44

I know, but I have honestly never come across children having Facebook profiles.

Really?! You're lucky then. I'm in the minority here, as my ds doesn't have a FB profile but at least half of his class have had their own FB page since about the age of 8. (No exaggeration.)
Now at the age of 11, it's actually quite shocking how some of the girls have what might as well be completely open pages (friends of friends might as well be open.)
Pouting selfies wearing cropped tops and hot pants, and tagging all their friends in, and waiting for compliments and comments and whatnot.
So glad all that shit wasn't around when I was at school.