My Daughter Wants A Facebook Page

The other day my daughter asked me if she could have a Facebook page. I quickly responded with, “No, you’re too young.”  As a protective father, I wanted to shield her from the dark side of the internet, but when she walked away with her head hanging low; I knew she deserved a better answer than what I had just given her, so I decided to do some homework.  

The FBI has a great parent’s guide to internet safety that you can download at, www.fbi.gov.  Some of their top tips include:

• Talk with your child about the potential of online danger.
• Keep the computer in a common room.
• Utilize parental controls.

I went deeper with my search and called Jason Feffer at www.SodaHead.com.   He had the following internet safety tips:

• Inform your kids that being online, has real world offline consequences.
• Explain how the internet is a giant billboard-nothing is private.
• Make rules about account security.
• Create trust with your kids or they won’t come to you for help when needed

Jason went on to explain how kids have access to the internet everywhere: their friends houses, schools, libraries and even on their cell phones. He emphasized the importance of parents educating their kids and holding them accountable to the rules they set for internet safety.

www.kids.getnetwise.org suggest that parents and kids follow these rules while surfing the internet:

• Don’t give out info about yourself.
• Never email pictures to strangers.
• Don’t open up any files from people you don’t know.
• Always follow family rules.

With a handful of knowledge, I called my daughter into the kitchen and we talked about the importance of internet safety.  After that we decide to check out some of the sites she was interested in and a few of her friends Facebook pages. In a matter of seconds, she was the one pointing out inappropriate information and pictures to me.  Then she looked at me and said, “I don’t think I need a Facebook page just yet Dad, maybe in a few years.”  Then she kissed me on the cheek and walked away.  No arguments, no tantrums, just a kiss.  My little girl had grown up that day, right before my eyes.  She understood the consequences and responsibilities of the internet and decided that she wasn’t ready to navigate the cyber highway.  That’s my girl.