Information Madness

What is the appropriate age for using social networking sites? Are there practical ways of verifying the users age? These are the two questioned that pop into a concerned parents head with the rapidly growing trend of socializing through internet.

Social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace policy recommends that children that are 13 and older get parents permission and younger than 13 are simply forbidden. But how far is that rule being followed?

Survey says that about 20,000 underage users are removed from Facebook daily. All these kids have to do is lie about their age and they can get an account. There are children under 13 who have account on Youtube, Facebook, Myspace etc. there isn’t much evidence that proves such an act to be harmful but as parents only you can decide if you are willing to taking the risk of exposing your child to the vast world of internet socializing, although most of these underage kids seem to be using these sites in moderation and positively. When there family and relatives are on these site would they be attracted to use sites like Club Penguin or Togetherville which are launched by Disney for children up to the age of 10?

 What do you do when you find out that your child has a user profile on a social networking site without your permission? Do you forbid them to use it again or is it wiser to let them use it on a condition that you will have their password so you can keep check of their online activity?

Some issues can not be taken lightly, like the protection of your child. That is something we have to deal with everyday when they take a step out of the door of our homes. Child molesters, these monsters are everywhere, how can you be sure they are not sitting online and trying to be a part of your Childs social circle? Children can be manipulated and scammed easily their innocent curiosity can lead them to dangerous situation. Keeping a check on their activities online is an added responsibility for the parents of these times. That seems to be the best solution until these social networking sites develop more practical ways of verifying the identity and age of their users.  

About the author: Nuur Hasan is professional website developer and a social networking enthusiast. When is not busy with work, he likes to browse Microsoft Office 365.