How would you like to give your 13 year old the perfect gift?

Well, I have found it… a Facebook Profile!

If you think I am crazy, then keep reading and let me explain.

Ask any 13 year old if they are on any social network sights and the answer will most likely be yes. I have heard many kids state that as soon as they are 13, they are getting on Facebook. Of course, I have heard that many kids are getting on Facebook younger than 13. Unfortunately for them, Facebook has a policy that states: You will not use Facebook if you are under 13. If they are caught, their profile will be taken down.  In addition, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) states that any website collecting personal information from anyone under 13 must have parental permission.

I believe as parents we need to enforce these policies. One reason they have this age requirement is that most kids under 13 are not responsible enough with posting personal information.  And this brings me back to why I think you should give your child a Facebook Profile when they turn 13.  If you handle it the right way, it can become a fun teachable moment.

When my daughter turns 13 in a few years, I will say, “Finally 13! I bet you’re ready to set up your Facebook Profile (or whatever the latest social network craze is). One of my gifts is to help you set it up, so let’s get on the computer!” Then I will teach her about privacy controls, her profile picture, posting personal information, adding pictures, videos and links.  I will talk to her about what to do when someone she doesn’t know wants to “friend” her. I can show her the IM feature and teach her how to use it.

After we set it up, we can “google” her name and I can show her that her Facebook Profile picture is actually public and anyone will be able to see it. That means mom, dad, relatives, teachers, fiends parents, grandparents, etc. I will let her know her profile picture is important and it should be something you would show your best friend and your grandmother. I can show her the difference in what information is revealed by the different privacy settings. I will talk to her about the Facebook applications and I will tell her some of these contain viruses and malware. Then we have the Facebook fan pages and groups.  I can show her using my Facebook profile the information that is available to others when you join a group or become a fan.  These activities expose your picture and name to the other members that you don’t know.  Some of the people in the same groups will see your picture and may try to “friend” you. I will ask her how she will handle that.

In addition, I will talk to her about private information. I will let her know she needs to be careful about what she posts.  Even typical teenage posts can have consequences. I will remind her of the story about the girl that was upset her father couldn’t go to her school musical.  She shared on her MySpace page that she didn’t want to work for someone like her dad’s boss, who yells all the time and treats her dad like dirt.  After she posted it she realized her bosses son was one of her “friends”. A few weeks later, her father was fired.  You can read about this story by clicking here in the Family Circle, Share Tactics article.

She will have to be careful about what her friends are posting too.  I will talk to her about helping her friends stay safe online.  Are her friends accepting friend requests from people they don’t know? If so, her posts may be seen by her “friend”. Are her friends posting pictures that may reveal too much? Locations, addresses, vacation plans, etc. all these innocent posts can have consequences.

As you can see, by giving your 13 year old a Facebook Profile for their birthday, it opens up the communication to online safety.

And that is why I am giving my daughter a Facebook Profile on her 13th birthday!

If you found this article informative, don’t forget to pass it on to others!  All parents need reminders about online safety.

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Non-profit organization continues its mission to help save the lives of young drivers

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of America’s teens according to the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration. In 2007, there were 3,363 motor vehicle related fatalities in the state of Texas, making
it the 2nd deadliest state in the country for motor vehicle deaths. Of those fatalities, 805 (or about 24 percent)
were young people aged 16 to 24. Driver’s Edge, with its innovative and potentially life-saving instructional
program, will make its eighth visit to Texas to help tackle this problem. On April 18 and 19, young drivers can
benefit from this non-profit organization’s free program as the 2009 Driver’s Edge National Tour visits Texas
Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth.

Driver’s Edge includes the following elements:

- Classroom and behind-the-wheel defensive driving instruction on skid control, evasive lane change
maneuvers, anti-lock braking skills and panic-braking techniques, plus written tests designed to test
knowledge both before and after students are behind the wheel;

- Local law enforcement interaction, including impaired driving awareness and seat belt safety; and

- Proper car maintenance session based on Firestone Complete Auto Care’s Car Care Academies.
WHAT: Driver’s Edge provides real-life training for young drivers in an effort to combat the
unacceptably high annual number of teen auto collisions and driving fatalities. This exciting
half-day program presented with an “MTV flavor” includes classroom and behind-the-wheel
training for young drivers. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend as well.
WHEN: Saturday April 18, 2009 Sunday April 19, 2009
Session One: 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Session One: 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Session Two: 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Session Two: 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Texas Motor Speedway
3545 Lone Star Circle
Ft. Worth, Texas 76177
WHO: Jeff Payne, Driver’s Edge founder, Steven Tepper, Driver’s Edge president, and the Edge
team of professional racecar drivers and performance driving instructors.
**Members of the media are invited to come out and test their skills behind the wheel.**
TO ATTEND: Young drivers, aged 15 to 21, possessing a valid learner’s permit or driver’s license, must
register in advance at www.driversedge.org. Each day, a total of 200 young drivers (plus
their parents) have the opportunity to attend.
While the value of a comparable program is $450 per person, there is no charge for young drivers to attend
Driver’s Edge, thanks to private charitable donations and the generous support of community-minded
partners such as Bridgestone Americas, Inc., Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC (the “presenting
partner” of the Driver’s Edge National Tour), Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC, the IndyCar Series and the
CarMax Foundation.

Information and image are from the Driver’s Edge Website.