Parenting Q&A: What Age Should My Children Be Allowed On Facebook?

October 21, 2014

Q: My 8 and 9 year olds have been asking to get onto Facebook. Their friends have accounts. But I am not sure about this. What do you think?
A: Technically, Facebook does not allow children under the age of 13 to have accounts, and perhaps with good reason. While “stranger danger” is always a worry for parents, cyberbullying is increasingly becoming the primary cause for concern. Young children may not be savvy about online privacy, nor able to handle cruel or inappropriate comments from their peers. Although a growing number of children under the age of 13 seem to have Facebook accounts, setting up an account under false pretenses may not be the best example to teach our children either. If you are uncertain or wary of creating an account, I would trust that instinct.