How Old Do You Have to Be to Have a Facebook Account?
How Old Do You Have to Be to Have a Facebook Account?
Let’s face it — Facebook is ubiquitous. It is the most popular social networking site by far, so much so that major life events don’t seem real until they’re posted as a Facebook status update. Whether or not you like Facebook, approve of social networking, or think Facebook has a good or bad influence on people, it is here to stay.
Because Facebook is everywhere and “everyone has a Facebook account”, most kids want to join. Facebook was once meant for college students and professionals but the scope has expanded to include most people. So is there an age restriction for Facebook?
Facebook’s Age Restriction
Facebook’s terms of service are very clear on this subject. In plain English, the site advises that “this site is intended solely for users who are thirteen (13) years of age or older, and users of the Site under 18 who are currently in secondary school or college. Any registration by, use of or access to the site by anyone under 13, or by anyone who is under 18 and not in secondary school or college, is unauthorized, unlicensed and in violation of (Facebook’s) Terms of Use.”
That’s quite a mouthful. What it says is :
- You must be at least 13 years old to join Facebook
- If you are under 18, you must be enrolled in secondary school (high school) or college
Most people probably don’t realize that this age restriction exists. Also — isn’t it interesting that Facebook won’t accept people under 18 if they’re not in school? Seems like a random restriction to me, but who knows . .
Penalties for Lying About Your Age
Nothing serious is going to happen to an underage person if they register for the site and lie about their age. The worst that can happen is that they’ll be banned from the site. It says in Facebook’s “policies” section that “By using the service or the site, you represent and warrant that you are 13 or older and in secondary school or college, or else that you are 18 or older, and that you agree to and to abide by all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement.”
No, you’re not gonna get arrested if you register for Facebook illicitly, but if the site finds out about it, they will ban you.
Facebook Alternatives for Kids
It is important that your kid learn how to use the Internet properly. The Internet is a major part of my life, and it is sure to be a big part of your children’s future. Learning to use a social network responsibly is much like learning to write a check — you don’t want them doing it now, but you know they’ll be doing it in the future and they should learn to do it right.
Kids don’t have to miss out on all the social networking fun — but they should be doing it at a “kid specific” site. You don’t want your ten year old kid on the same social network as most of my friends, let me tell you. Here’s a few kid-friendly social networking alternatives to Facebook.
ClubPenguin.com — with over 25 million members (none older than 13) this is an up and coming big hitter in kid’s social networking. Lots of innocent fun and plenty of monitoring by adults.
KidSwirl.com — vaguely Facebook-like but heavily moderated.
WhyVille.net — more like a “Sims” style game. Kids pick avatars and chat under the usual heavy moderation.
This entry was posted on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 5:46 am and is filed under Family, Internet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
I am 10 eleven and I will be 11 in 2 weeks. I just got permission from my parents to have a facebook account. I am scared that I might get banned. All my friends have it and I know hardly any people who don’t have facebook at my school. Sometimes you feel kind of left out and facebook is the only way for me to get in touch with my friends. So I am not sure if I am really brave enough to lie about my age and say I am 2 years older than I actually am.
I Want To Join But Im Only 10? What Website Is Close To Facebook That I Can Join?
you should really get a life I’m 12 truing 13 today and i don’t want fb because you don’t need it why don’t you go to your friends house instead and actually have some fun !!!!!!
I really want to be on FACEBOOK and I AM 13 but my parents are worried that I will get bullied or that I am not grow up enough, I must be grow up enough though I all ready have a job. How can I persuade them to let me have it. Any Ideas??? thankz Hannah k
i think u can be 10 to have a facebook acounnt i wish i had one
listen im on facebook and im 12 it really isnt anything bad you add who u want and change privacy settings so noone can find u just add freinds and family
horsecrazy: you can just change your privace settings so that only your friends can see your info and all of that
Facebook was not made for kids. MOst children have there friends already around them and seem the eight hours aday, 5 days a week! Facebook is really for adults who want to connect to fridns them dont see offen or even live very far away from them.
I’m 11 and my parent s wont let me get a Facebook because they say its againg the law for anyone under 12 to have one… Is this true
I am 12 and i am the only one at my school that doesnt have a facebook (Iknow this for a fact cause the took a thing for it) and everybody is always talking about it and sometimes ppl make fun of me i just wish that i caould have one even my dad has one!!
I think parents who allow their children to lie just to get on facebook should be ashamed of themselves. What kind of example are you setting?
weellll,tbf i think that you should be able to have facebook, no matter what age you are,because it isnt fair on people,but i know people that do have faceboook anyway! people do take fun of people that dont have it,and mums and dads need to realise that! it isnt for our own gooood! i have faceboook,i when i didnt people took fun out of me but i didnt care because i knew that i would have faceboooook one day, so dont worry if you dont have facebook. believe me you will get it even if its behind you mum and dads back!
I think its lame that kids under 13 cannot have a fb. I am 11 and my life realy sucks because all my friends have fb pages and I dont.
I think that most of the kids whining here about not being able to have a facebook account should concentrate on learning proper grammar and spelling first!
im only 9 but i am 10 in 3 months and i really want to be on facebook everyone in my class is but not me is there anything like facebook for kids under 13
im 12 but i joined face book cause i used mi moms birthdate cause she told me to haha
i really want face book but i think im gonna be banned if i am only 12 );
I am only 10 and I realy want a facebook! I wonder if there is something else similiar to facebook for kids that are under 13!
Facebook is nothing that great, its just addicting. I’m 15 and i still don’t have it and don’t want it. It’s a waste of time. Actually do stuff don’t just talk to people online. Only get it for a good reason and research the risks and consequences before you do. For example any picture you put up can never be deleted and if you disable your account it isn’t deleted. It will still be there 10 years later if you sign in. If your under 13 you don’t need it!!!!!!!Your just kids enjoy your childhood you only get the chance to be a kid once.:)
You are so right whatever. Even though I am 12 at a part of my life I thought misspelling words was cool but it wasn’t what’s so hard about spelling right. I want a Facebook but I will just wait a few more months then ask to get one. Stop being whiners complaint about a Facebook deal with the fact your not getting one any time soon! Not to be mean either.