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 Sunday, March 24th, 2013 at 1:07 pm 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.
Runescape is another good website
I am 10 and I don’t think that it is far that people my age can’t have just one freekin facebook acount……it rlly retared if u ask me cuz alot of my friends hve them and they r only 10
Thanks for the information. It really helped me a lot. i guess I’m just gonna have to wait 3 months. Bummer. :C
cool! but Iam only 11 and I think I could have a fb
I am allowed facebook and i am underage. facebook isnt a good idea for kids under the age of 10… i know a kid who has facebook and is only in the third grade. facebook is safe as long as people know how to use it wisely
Cumon people let us go on fb the age should be 10 or 11.kids should be safe on fb as long as they have settings on it and thier parents can watch over them they wil be fine!CUMONNN!!!:(
i think that kids should wait because…why would little kids what one anyways… i mean rele you guys can wait. just get a cellphone.. i am 15 and i am tryin to convince my mom to let me have one.. and its kinda workin i have to wait until i am 10th grade witch i now..
i cant wait to get my facebook. maybe all of us can be friends. jk.
aww darn i’m not yet 13
…
“Cumon people let us go on fb the age should be 10 or 11.kids should be safe on fb as long as they have settings on it and thier parents can watch over them they wil be fine!CUMONNN!!!:( ”
“I am 10 and I don’t think that it is far that people my age can’t have just one freekin facebook acount……it rlly retared if u ask me cuz alot of my friends hve them and they r only 10″
Perfect examples of why kids under 13 are considered too young to be on facebook.
Since I’m 12 today and will be 13 tomorrow, I guess I’ll just make one at midnight!
Facebook has rules — you break them, you get banned. Wait until you are 13 and have permission from your parents. Social Networking sites can be dangerous for those not old enough to realize that bad stuff can happen.
i think children at the age of 11/12should be allowed coz i know loads of people that have fb i looked it up somewhere and it sed u had to be 12 now i know its 13 now i have to wait another year bummer i know lol now ma mum wont let me have 1
but i know a 2 year old on facebook and a 10 year old didnt lie about their age and it let them on. what do you have to say about that???
Darn i’m not 13 yet. Damn it.
Jon- You don’t know a 10 year old or 2 year old on FB that didn’t lie about their age. That’s what I have to say about that. There are reasons for age restrictions. Most people on FB are adults and we talk like adults. There are places for kids on the Internet. If it were up to me, you’d have to be 18. When you can pay for your own Internet, your own computer and your own way,then you’re old enough to be on FB. Most of you need to concentrate more on getting an education than worrying about FB from the sound of things.
13? really? wow. i could easily get a facebook without being caught.im only about a couple monthes off.still though. not fare. why cant it be 12 and under?
Ok look, I am 13 and I just got a facebook acount. Yes it is fun, but you won’t DIE without one. To all of you 10 and 11 year olds, You should be doing other things with your time instead wasting it on facebook! I know all of the COOL people have it, but why don’t you wait a while until you people are 13 instead of lying!!! Thats NOT cool. By the time you turn 13,Facebook will be cooler anyway and then it would be more worth while for you. Oh and one more thing… correct your spelling! Peace. Don’t think I am a know it all just because I gave you my opinion.
Take my advice.
I am 13 and I dont agree with anyone that says 10 year old or ppl under 13 can have a facebook. There is alot of security issues and inappriate content. Saying tht facebook is not heavily moderated kids under 13 should not have a facebook. And wat if something happened on facebook to someone under 13 facebook will not be accountable because it is against fine print for a younger than 13 year to be on so it will be ur own fault. I rest my case
I thought they changed the age to 14? i guess not…
im 13 but im only in middle school. how does facebook keep track of this stuff? what do i do to get a fb? i reeeely dont want to wait 10 months! help!!
i think its stupid that u have to be 13 it should be 11 my mom loves facebook and i probably will to so they should lower the age. i wanted 1 so bad i snoke 1 my mom found out the next day i should have deleted it. I DIDNT NO U COULD DELETE A FACEBOOK!!!!
I’m 13 years old and Facebook wont let me on so i had to lie and say i was 18… but all my friends know i’m not, your age doesn’t have to be on your profile, just your birthday (month,day) not year. so no offence.. but if your not SURE of Facebook facts please don’t post something acting like you know all about it.
What is this site.. some kind of geek parade?!?! what the heck!!!all of you just get a life and search google instead of asking someone who doesnt even know!!!
You know it is very funny that some of this kids who are ten and eleven years talking about how they should be allowed to have a facebook account yet in their statements, their words are misspelled ad used incorrectly. How about the underage kids learn to read and write instead of worrying about being on a social networking
uhh…hmm…im 12…so i dont know for sure, but isnt it like the law that you have to be 13 to get an account on a social networking site, or your parents permission, not just facebook’s rules? i mean…how come no one figured that out yet?
im nearly 13. i skipped a grade, and so i think that it would be ok to get a facebook. a have been one year youner than everyone else but twice as mature. the 10 and 11 year olds really should think about waiting to get an account. i may be a few months underage, but im more mature than my 15 year old brother.
correction: younger
I personally think the age should be older. Some of the content is too much for young people to understand let alone should see in the first place. I do know a few under age kids on fb so I am careful what I say but not everyone thinks before saying what they want. I’d be horrified to find my 10 or 11 yo on facebook. Try secret builders guys. So much more fun and good practice for when you are old enough.
my mom wont let me have a facebook but all my friends do and im 10 wateva
im 11 and my mom wouldnt let me have a facebook. so i snook 1. so my mom deleted it the age should be 10
oh get a life. facebook is crap anyway……………..but i still want one
i can not wait.
I’m 11 and I don’t have an acount. I’m actually doing a report on why you shouldn’t fake your age to get on facebook. I don’t have one but all my friends do and I personally think facebook is stupid.
i think fb is cool but i go on my moms and my mom knos tht i want 1 but she won’t let mee !!! it’s sooo not fair cuz i have an email but all my friends have 1 and i don’t + i don’t have peirced ears yett !!! soo at skool i feel like i’m the odd one out !!! it’zz soooo nootttt faiirrr !!!!!!!!!!!
Hahahhahahahahadgadgah!! I looooove how all the kiddies are on here bitchin’ about how they dont get facebook. Im 16 and i got face book when I was 13 … wasent much fun. I enjoyed playing outside and drawing more, and you kiddies should enjoy being young too ! And learn how to spell better (b4 u git on fb 2 tlk wit ur mom in da oter ruum) .
OK pplz, I am 12 going on 13 in less than 2 months, I can’t wait for i because all my friends have it and they say it’s fun and I rlly want it. YES i do know how to spell BY THE WAY. Anyway, I personally think 13 is a good age because ppl under that age are always complaining about not havin it but they r still just little kids, YES I DID JUST CALL MYSELF LITTLE. But if 13 is the age limit OK then fine, all u 12 year olds who r turning 13 soon like MOI… CHILL! U’LL GET IT SOON ENOUGH!
My friends are all 11 or 12 and they have facebook, i kind of want one but if i do get one im waiting till im 13 only got 1 year to wait, not the end of the world!! anyway my brother has it and it seems so annoying with the 100s of emails you get every day saying someone has commented on a photo. IM NOT BOTHERED!!! haha x
omg i am almost 13 i will b 13 in like2 months ahh
I am 13. I waited like a mature person. I didnt cry over a facebook. please, children, get over it. Youre not going to die.
Hello every one I am 12 years eld and I do know people who have been banned for having facebook and only being 12 so little kids like moi WAIT till your 13 there’s no need to get fb. It will still b there when
Ur 13
Kids You should have lives not facebook accounts. Go Play 60 outside!
Facebook is pretty cool but it’s not that great. I much prefer MSN but all my friends use Facebook now so I can’t chat to them because I’m only just twelve and my mum won’t let me untill I’m thirteen. I don’t mind much, I’ve still got my mobile and I do see them like everyday. I probably will get it when I turn thirteen – mainly so I can chat to my mates though. I think the age restriction of 13 is pretty reasonable, and no boring adults, it is old enough because most people who are 13 swear, use bad language and pretty much completely aware of what adults find us knowing as “unsuitable” If your 12, you can wait, if your younger – get MSN!!!!! Don’t get club penguin. It’s immature, babyish and the majority of the members are under 6
Hi, I have read all of these comments and I now know that thirteen is an appropriate age limit for Facebook.
BECAUSE if you read the comments most twelve tear olds have the correct spelling, like me! The eleven and unders do not use the correct spelling and are immature! But the thirteen year olds and over always use the correct spelling and are very mature!
I know that ALL your friends have Facebook but if you think hard I bet you can find someone that doesn’t have it.
Anyway you can wait a year or two for Facebook!
You are not going to die without it!!!!
GROW UP!!!
im almost 13, but my dad said i can get a fb now– only if he stands over my shoulder and watches my every move. the thing is, i dont even want a fb. so HA to u kiddies, & GO DO SOMETHING BETTER THAN WASTE YOUR LIFE AT DANGEROUS SITES LIKE FACEBOOK!
What the heck?
I know about 20 people that have Face Book and are under 13.
About 10 of them are in 3rd Grade >.>
I can’t have a stupid facebook and my friends do!!!
P.S -
My opinion -
Kidswirl sucks – i had it for 2 days and quit.
I had to quit RuneScape because my babysitter found a site that says kids under 13 can’t play the d*** game! i’m like what the freek! So my parents made me quit
ClubPenguin sucks 2 – i had it for 3 yrs! (since i was 7).
My parents and babysitter are just so dang mean they don’t let me have ANYTHING! I can’t even have a stupid cellphone and all my friends do! >:/
It Ticks me off!
Help Me find a better site that’s for 10 yr olds going onto 11!
- Bailey
P.S
I’m a girl but I’m also a tomboy O.o
@ 12 year old,
Shut up! I’m 10! almost 11 and i have perfect stupid grammer and spelling so shut up and stop saying your better than kids under your STUPID AGE!
Such self-aggrandizement people on these blogs >:/
@ Beth xxx
I know right!
Club Penguin is awesome if your young but when you grow up you keep thinking ‘ Why did I join this stupid game? It’s so bad!’
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 !!!!!!