by Kimberly Davis

Created on: January 28, 2011

With all of the information available on the internet today, should we be limiting the age of those who can access it? The answer is a resounding yes. Nothing is perfect - parents can’t control everything their children do, especially once they reach school age and are left to their own devices for 8 hours out of the day. But that doesn’t mean we stop trying.

Social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook are some of the most popular sites for internet users. They let you share pictures, ideas, statuses as well as any other information one might deem important or fun to share. But how much is too much, especially for minors? Social networking sites have become so popular that they are used for everything, from learning about potential/current employees, to finding old friends, to even researching significant claims such as insurance disability.

When you put so much information out into the public eye, it is bound to have some repercussions. As an adult, you can make the decision with this knowledge as to how much to share with others and what you are willing to risk in doing so, but can a minor think through these possible consequences? More often than not the answer is no. And the information they choose to share in trying to be popular can attract some serious consequences or shady people.

Predators are just as knowledgeable, if not more so, as to how these sites work and what to look for. They are good at what they do. And they are secure in the knowledge that younger people are more open to adding friends they don’t know, and talking to strangers, and use that information to gain access to your children.  It is important to warn them of the dangers of socializing, even online, with people they are not familiar with. Anyone can put information about themselves on the internet, but for those whose purposes are a bit more nefarious, that information is not always accurate. It is manipulated to match what they believe will gain them the most access to their goals.

But predators are not the only ones out there that you should watch out for. Posting too much information about yourself can be just as harmful. And while, we as adults, try to be more mindful of the information we share that others may be able to use against us, minors are not always so considering. There are numerous stories out there from jokes to serious tales of how people lost jobs, admissions to schools, among other things, all because of the information they put on their website. From pictures of underage partying, to vulgar thoughtless comments, the possibilities are endless for what can be damaging to your reputation. Even amongst your own peers. And unfortunately, most of these consequences do not occur to the younger crowds.

As a general rule, we are never going to be able to stop our children from becoming one with the internet. It’s a day and age where it is so rampant amongst the populace that more people are on it than not, especially with at least one computer to every household. And rules tend to be viewed as something made to be broken in the eyes of youth. But we do not have to encourage their usage and access of a potentially dangerous instrument. Slapping an age restriction will not cure the problem, nor will a lot of minors follow the limits set, but there will be those who do. And actively watching for the rule breakers and shutting them down, while causing a bit of a stir, may save someone’s life or reputation who does not always think first before acting. No system is perfect, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

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