You're How Old?

As many of you may recognize, we are fully immersed in a generation of social media: Twitter, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, and Facebook, being one of the biggest.  Personally, starting all the way back in the summer before my sophomore year of high school, circa 2007, I have been updating statuses, liking photos, being an active member of the Facebook community. 

When Facebook was revealed in 2004, my older sister, who at the time was gearing to head off to college, decided to create an account.  It was at this time that Facebook was marketed and only allowed, for college aged students as a way to connect with friends and family while living away from home. Oh how Facebook has changed since then…

One day last year when logging onto my account, I saw I had a new friend-request.  Clicking on it revealed that it was my 12-year-old cousin who had “friended” me.  Not even knowing that Facebook was allowed for people that young, I was puzzled, shocked, and confused.  For what purpose does allowing such young people, not even a teen quite yet, onto Facebook serve?

Now, I am the first one to support new technology, new chances to connect long lost friends, relatives.  I am well aware that I may still believe in a more old fashioned approach to the Internet.  I am aware of how much Facebook has grown and how much it is expanding to different demographics.  I am also well aware of how exciting and useful a tool like Facebook can be in today’s world, no matter a person’s age.  But is there a need for such young people to be plastering their faces across cyberspace?  Facebook owns everything you say and do on its website, and many pre-teens do not consider possible consequences for putting something up on Facebook.

The whole thing seems a bit excessive for me.  Would you let your child (future child) on Facebook at that young age?  I certainly would not.  I would hope my children would still be wondering how Santa comes down the chimney. Wishful thinking, I know.