What is the youngest age a child should be allowed a Facebook account?

[LoordFX]

I would say after 22. Farcebook makes a child dull and lazy. Ask him to socialize by going out and playing instead of sitting infront of a computer and posting random crap on Farcebook.

[luvmy4boyz]

I think it kind of depends, my older three boys didn't get an account until 13 and my older two rarely ever used it. My middle son was more into it. My youngest is about to turn 12 next month and he just got one a few months ago however he only uses has family added as friends, he cannot be searched for and his settings are very private (I set it up). the thing is all our family lives far away, my mom lives across the country, my mother in law lives 4 states over, my sister and sister law live out of state etc...so this is a nice way for him to keep in touch with family. Everyone in the family was complaining because they can talk whenever to my older three who have Facebook and also cell phones but my youngest they had no way to keep in touch with.

I understand the concerns but my son doesn't even know his own log in information, when he wants to go on to check messages etc...I log him in and sit with him while he uses Facebook then I log him out. I don't think it's a big deal if it's used this way. When he is older and I feel he is ready I will allow him to add friends from school as well but his settings will still be private and I will still monitor it just as I do with my older boys (not so much my oldest two who are 17 and rarely use it anyway but with my 14 year old who is pretty active on his and I am his friend on there as well).

I think if it's just to let them get one and be on their own with a bit of monitoring then 14 would be the ideal age.

edit: the smart thing to do is to teach your children how to be appropriate and safe online, not keep them from it forever that;s just silly. Monitor them, be their friend, know how to use Facebook and other sites yourself, and always make sure you have their username and password as a condition of them having a Facebook.

edit: my neighbor is not allowed to have a Facebook and she is 15....guess what...she has one, her mom just doesn't know which is even worse in my opinion because it;s not being monitored. I feel it's better to allow it and monitor it. But she is also not allowed to date and has a secret boyfriend too LOL

[tigerprawn]

our family is split over 2 countries so my daughter has one but just for family, I monitor it all the time, I have set up the privacy settings so no one else can see her profile, she has no photos on there and her friends are all people we know in real life, she is 6 in may, She only uses it to tell family abroad that she loves them and play farmville and pet hospital lol..

[bullz]

social networking sites r crazy dat they hav kept a min age for creating account.one should have the right to create his/her account anytym he wants.websites thinks that below 18 r mischievous..n above 18 becomes one becomes mature...wtf there is no age of maturity

[Marsmellow]

There is a law 13+ if you havent seen the news you should really get out more

[calmpocket938]

I think if the parents have the password and actually go on the child's account daily to check up on things, then 12. 13 if the account isn't monitored (since it's the legal age), but if my child was 13 and had a facebook, I'd still monitor it.