to think a 10 year old wouldn't be able to set a Facebook account up and bully someone on it?

[Scratty]

DS isn’t particularly smart with technology, he does have an iPad that has parental controls, etc.

We also have a downstairs computer.

DS (at the age of 10 - not amazing at technology) couldn’t do that, right? I don’t know many 10 year olds. He says he hasn’t, but someone is saying he has.

Thanks.

[yakari]

I think the tech aspect of this is a red herring - it's just a medium for the argument or bullying. You need to get to the bottom of what is going on between the kids - have they fallen out, has any one fallen out with your son (i.e. If someone else did it, who and why). What's going on with your son, any other issues, any history? Don't get sidetracked by Facebook (of course a 10 year old could do this) focus on the bullying and what's going on in the friendship groups/class

[NewLove]

there is nothing tech savvy about signing up to a social media site, all they need to know is how to write

They don't even need to be able to write now with voice recognition (Google and texts have it)

[Atenco]

Get help from someone else to check the browser history.

There is nothing tech savvy about signing up to a social media site, all they need to know is how to write, same with opening up an email address.

[Armadillostoes]

It is possible BUT it is equally possible that another child of a similar age with less restricted access is posing as your DS online to make trouble.

[reallyanotherone]

My 9 year old set up instagram and snapchat accounts by herself easily enough. Including calculating her DOB to make herself pass the age restriction. Facebook isn't any more complicated.

It is possible. you need to check his browser history. Have you searched Facebook to see if he has a profile?

[Ploppie4]

Message his FB account using your FB account and see what happens.

It is possible he’s done it or been set up

[Ploppie4]

It’s a piece of cake.

[SparklyMagpie]

So has your ds confessed yet OP?

[Detentioncontent]

I just hope she's not one of those 'my little angel couldn't possibly have done that' I brigade Random.

The biggest issues I have experienced with bullies is when their parents don't believe their delightful little Freddie could possibly do anything like that when in reality little Freddie is making everyone's life a misery. :(

Of course if could have been set up by someone else to get him in trouble but the op seriously needs to get sorted and get up to date on social media for when he is a teen.

[randomuntrainedcuntowner]

The op is clearly not going to check the browsing history

[Trueheart1]

My 6 year old nephew sent horrible messages to other kids using a chat account on a games consul. A 10 year old is more than capable of doing it on FB.

[Roomba]

At 10, DS1 was writing his own Minecraft mods in Javascript, and spent lots of time hacking into the other household devices 'for a laugh'. He still doesn't have a FB account at 12, and has no intention of getting one, but I'm 100% sure he could work out how to sign up for FB at 10 years old.

As for the spelling issue, could that be due to autocorrect? So if it was your DS it appears the sender has better spelling than he does? Alternatively, someone else has done this and is therefore bullying your son too - after all it's pretty stupid sending bullying messages in your own name, so I could see another kid doing this easily. You know your DS and can check his internet history etc.

[gamerwidow]

Just to add, just because he could it doesn’t mean he did. I agree with PP you need to check your browser history. If you can’t find anything and he doesn’t have a history of this sort of thing I’d be inclined to believe him.

[gamerwidow]

A 10 year old could easily do that. My 7 year old is always showing me stuff I didn’t know how to do on my phone and I’ve worked in IT for 25 years!!

[SoupDragon]

As others have said, yes most 10 year olds could easily set up a Facebook account.

That said, they could easily set one up in pretty much whatever name they wish. Some names require proof of ID now (mine surname does for example) but if it is a bog standard name it's a piece of cake. Anyone could have set the Facebook up in your DS's name or he could have done it himself. I'm not sure you could prove which it was.

[TheAntiBoop]

Yes altara he does do it at school but he has no interest in it so whilst he knows what Facebook etc is he doesn't understand the point of it etc

I thought all the young uns were into Instagram and thought Facebook was boring though!

[randomuntrainedcuntowner]

My 6 year old could

[confusedlittleone]

Definitely possible. Also there's way to hide your browser history which I'm pretty sure a 10yo would be able to figure out quite easily since it's just clicking a button!

[altiara]

theantiboop your 10 yo will still have been having computer lessons throughout primary school irrespective of interest at home.

[khajiit13]

I could and did do that at that age. And that was 15 years ago. He's need an email address to sign up. Check his emails.

[bridgetreilly]

Plenty of under-10s are on FB. It's easy. And bullying - well, people can do that at any age.

[kmc1111]

You don't need to be remotely 'tech savvy' to use Facebook. If you can read at a very basic level and have a vague understanding of how to use a computer, you're completely capable of signing yourself up and using it. TBH I'd be pretty concerned about an NT 10yr old who couldn't manage it within a few minutes. It's incredibly basic and intuitive.

30 years ago my friends and I were doing our own coding at that age, creating our own games. There's kids that age today creating amazing websites and games. Facebook is nothing.

[GrockleBocs]

My 6 year old has installed games, attempted to make in app purchases and search for dubious things on YouTube. All have been foiled by the controls I keep on the tablet (and their inability to spell :) ).
It sounds like you aren't on top of it so it's perfectly possible it's happened but it is also easy to pretend to be someone else online so whilst he probably could do it, it could also be a form of bullying. And yes cyber bullying at 10 could be a thing.

[eyebrowsonfleek]

YouTube has How To.. videos on basically every subject imaginable.