I wanted to start out this post by saying how much I appreciate those of you who continue to support TMC. It’s a community that continues to grow and what still amazes me is how many bloggers have truly met others through this network. I’ve seen some really new bloggers that start out here and after adding a listing they begin to connect and build their own tribe with others from this very space.
However, as this community continues to grow it’s getting harder and harder for me to choose which blogs to feature every Friday. Therefore, in order to be considered for the Featured TMC Blogger of the week you must visit the current Featured Blogger of the week and comment on that blog. I will be selecting and notifying future TMC Feature Bloggers who will be chosen directly through the comments on the blogs of other Featured Bloggers. This will not only make the process easier, but it will also bring more exposure to the Featured TMC Bloggers which is essentially the whole point of the features anyway! I will continue to shut off comments for those posts on my blog to encourage comments on the actual Featured TMC Blogger. So be sure to start commenting this Friday on the actual site of the FB, especially if you would like to be considered as a Featured Blogger yourself!
Next, many of you know by now that I am a social media consultant for Chic Mama, helping them launch a new Twitter account so you can find me tweeting @TheChicMama Please be sure to follow on Twitter there {I follow back} and please tell all of your mommy friends to do the same. If you have already followed me there, thanks so much for supporting me and if you haven’t followed yet, go follow now!
Finally, I was hanging out with a couple of my neighbors recently and some of these women have children that are much older than mine. We ended up having a pretty intense discussion about the topic of iphones and Facebook and I was pretty shocked to hear what they were sharing. Some of the moms told me that they are finding it difficult to catch some middle ground right now; apparently, there are many children (beginning in 5th grade and some even earlier) who already have iphones and utilize Facebook accounts – and are very active on both. They went on to tell me that many of the moms they are referring to (who allow their kids to have these privileges) are actually good friends of theirs but they do not share the same perspective when it comes to texting, sharing photos, social media and their children. The problem is, the children who are using their own iphones (excessively though texting) and utilizing Facebook accounts are setting a precedent with their own friends, making it harder on the moms that are standing their ground by saying “no.”
As we were sitting outside together talking very intensely about this issue, it was one of those moments I was actually glad my little ones were tucked in bed sleeping and that I don’t have to deal with this yet…who knows what will be available five years from now but until then, I would love to hear your thoughts on this very active debate:
At what age do you think it’s appropriate for your child to have a Facebook account and/or an iphone?
My son is one of the few 5th graders he knows who doesn’t have a FB account or a phone. It’s so hard in such a digital age to do things like this but for now we feel this is what’s best. That being said I think it depends on the child. I don’t think we should enact legislation saying “Only children aged __ and above can have Social Media Accounts”; I believe that each parent knows what is best for their family, lifestyle, and child. I’m sure there will be mistakes and some children who don’t get accounts who would be OK with them (and vice versa) but no parent is perfect and you have to learn as you go.
Perfectly said, Kristen! I totally agree!
Facebook says you must be at least 13 to have an account. I’m not sure what age they will be allowed to have one yet, but I know they will be over that age. As for the cell phone I’m not sure yet. We still have a home phone so I don’t see a need for my oldest, who is 8, to have one right now. My sister in law did get my 9 year old niece her own blackberry though.
I ran into a old neighbor I hadn’t seen in years. I asked if she had any photos of her kids. She started looking through her iPhone saying that it wasn’t hers, that she’s already lost 4. This was her daughter’s iPhone. Her daughter is 8.
I don’t care how many of my daughters’ friends have phones, they are not getting one until it logically makes sense. Like when they are playing after school sports and are relying on a bus or a ride to get home. Otherwise, what’s the point?
I am, however, all for the Firefly phone.
Lol. OMG…I didn’t even realize this was a “issue”.
My two-year-old has her own apps on both my Husband & my iPhone and has since she was one. She’ll actually get her own 3G iPhone when my Husband upgrades to a iPhone 4 in December. That said, it won’t be hooked to a phone line, and will simply be an iTouch at that point. But when she gets older, I don’t see anything wrong with it at all. Basic models are super cheap now. And iTunes has parental controls so I don’t have to worry about what she’s downloading (or buying), plus a reciept comes from every purchase etc. Its more about the access to what the iTouch, iPhone, and iPad will bring to her technology wise.
I’ve also already thought of setting up her own Facebook account as well to put pictures of her up for family/real friends. Personally, everyone I know is on Facebook, and it kind of creeps me out that “strangers” whom I do enjoy gaming with or apart of business/blogging with may rifling thru my pictures of her. So I guess I’m pretty liberal. But it works for us.
I thought FB didn’t allow (per privacy policy) kids to be on until they were 13? I’ve heard parents allowing kids to be on and adjusting birthdays so that they are able to. Seems wrong to do that though… right?
Being that I have no kids – so therefore no one nagging me about having either,
I’d say middle school (6th/7th/8th grade) before those things I think.
I don’t know, that’s a tough issue. I think there isn’t a magic age where this would be appropriate. It’s a question of the child him/herself.
My God-daughter has a Facebook account. It’s heavily managed by her mother and carefully filtered so she can only see approved things from say, me for example (I post a lot of links on adult concepts and controversial topics). She likes to play the games, though, so her mom set her up her own account. She’s 9 and doesn’t own a cell phone.
First of all, my kids don’t need a smartphone of any kind until they are much older. I think people are too attached to their phones, and I don’t want the same to happen to my kids, especially at such a young age. They will be allowed to have a basic cell phone when they turn 13.
As for facebook, I’m going to have to wait and see. It all depends on the type of kid they are. I’m thinking I would be okay with it when they are young teenagers, but I can’t say for sure!
Wow, I can’t even imagine having had an iPhone when I was a teenager, let alone in 5th grade! I used to lose things all the time. But I guess it really does depend on the child. I grew up with some privileges but not a lot — I never had a pager when those were all the rage and I never had my own car (although I did get to drive my parents’ old car). I think I would like to give my son (and any other future children) the chance to earn these things for himself. As far as Facebook, again it depends on the child, but 13 sounds about right. A friend of mine has the password to her daughter’s account, so she’s the only one who can sign her in so she knows whenever she’s on it — and she’s 17!
I think JDaniel will get a phone in middle school when we are no longer in the same school together. (If I get a job at his elementary school.) It will be set up for emergency use and checking in.
The digital age is a scary thing. I’m pretty conservative when it comes to the cell phone/facebook/twitter deal concerning kids, so I’m pretty sure my kids will either have to sneak around and do it behind my back or wait until they have a steady income. I remember being one of the only kids *with* a cell phone when I was in high school, but what I remember better than that was the monstrosity of a bill I racked up on a monthly basis. I’m not sure I can afford to support a 5th grader with an iPhone. I guess since my oldest is almost 5, I won’t have to worry about it for a while, but I wonder how much worse it’s going to get in the next few years…
Great post! This has actually been on my mind a LOT lately.
Oh my goodness I have no idea! I guess I’m thinking I’ll figure that out as I go along. One thing I can tell you for sure…I’m terrified!!
In my opinion at least junior high age. You can have a reasonable expectation of understanding responsible usage. They need to be willing to set things up with a parents supervision or not at all, and allow parents to monitor also.
Kristin
Hmmm. Considering the fact that my boys know how to use our iphones and ipad, I’d say by the age of… 10? they’ll have their own phones! Maybe? I don’t know. Kind of safe, knowing they have a phone, right? Hmm. We’ll see.
As for facebook… probably 12? 13? Gosh… that is early too, isn’t it? So much has changed from when we were young… sigh.
I’m a little late coming to the game on this post… But here I am regardless.
I must admit, I’m glad to still be dealing with high chair manners and sleeping routines for the time being. No one ever said parenting is easy… but more and more there are “new” issues that parents are faced with. Facebook? Kids having iPhones? I think it’s easy to be of the camp that says my kid will be X age before I let them have ____… And yet, I also know it’s not always that straight forward. You’ve got to take into consideration the child’s temperament, maturity level, character… and then all of the peer pressures and social pressures. No easy task! I don’t want to be an “old fashioned” mom who isn’t open to change… and yet I still think it’s so important to guard our families and be intentional with what we allow our kids to come into contact with. School age kids still need a lot of parenting and coaching and mentoring and discipline! Let’s allow them to move forward with technology, but do it in a way that parents still maintain oversight and covering. We owe that to our kids.
But for now, I’m glad to be trying to figure out which finger foods are safe and healthy for my little guy before I have to make tangible stances and decisions on things like my children’s involvement in social media. I’ve still got so much to learn! {phew}