Parents, it turns out, rarely see Facebook as a danger zone.
A whopping 83 percent of parents think the benefits of their children鈥檚 social-media use outweigh or at least balance any perceived risks.
In a national survey by Children鈥檚 Mercy, Hospitals and Clinics, almost three-fourths of parents said social media prepare children for success in a digital society and encourage curiosity and collaboration.
The results surprised researchers at Kansas City, Mo.-based Children鈥檚 Mercy, given that parents also said they are concerned about child molesters, sexting, and cyberbullying.
More than half of the 728 parents surveyed thought social media made their children more open-minded.
Barely two in five parents worried their children鈥檚 online activity could breed social isolation and behavioral problems. Roughly the same number was concerned that children鈥檚 virtual lives could get in the way of their real-life social skills and friendships. The expert鈥檚 take?
SOURCE: MinorMonitor 2012
Social-media exposure has many benefits, says Children鈥檚 Mercy child psychologist Ed Christophersen, but giving children unlimited and unsupervised access is asking for trouble.
鈥淢ost of us did some things as adolescents that we don鈥檛 want on the front page of The Kansas City Star,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd yet we kind of assume blindly that our kids won鈥檛.鈥� Police agree.
鈥淵ou have a right to demand the password for your children,鈥� Overland Park, Kan., police spokesman Gary Mason says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e your kids, and you should be actively looking at what they put on the Internet.鈥�
Of the parents surveyed, 71 percent believe that 13 is the right age to let their children use Facebook. Christophersen says that鈥檚 usually the right choice.
鈥淧eople keep saying 鈥榳hat age, what age, what age?鈥� Well, it depends on the maturity level,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you鈥檝e had a kid that has just been a pain, why would you give them unlimited access to the Internet?鈥�
Facebook restricts children younger than 13 from opening an account, although it鈥檚 not uncommon for children to lie about their age when signing up.
