Issuu

December 8, 2011

The Lowell

OPINION

IKE FREEDOM of speech and religion, freedom to communicate should be a right of every citizen, regardless of age. With the expansion of technology, the Internet has become a global network linking people together, and calls for unrestricted access. The 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), however, prohibits youth under 13 from using Facebook. Presently, the Federal Trade Commission is considering a new restriction to require parental consent before websites can gather marketing data from children when “liking” products on Facebook. However, kids under 13 should not be prevented from using social networking sites like Facebook and should not have additional restrictions. Facebook is an important educational tool that can benefit children’s understanding of technology. Instead of trying to shield kids from the realities of our technological society, kids should be allowed to use the site at an early age so that they can develop Internet safety skills that will increase awareness potential Internet dangers. Although many parents cite frequent cyber bullying on sites like Facebook as a reason to prevent kids under 13 from using the site, trying to block kids from using the Internet for social networking will not solve the bullying problem. For one thing, it is ineffective — there are many other forums on the Internet where kids have the capability to torment their peers, such as Instant Messaging. The problem needs to be fixed from the root by examining the reasons behind why children bully their peers. This includes raising bullying awareness at schools as well as increased parental involvement. Legally prohibiting Facebook for young adolescents does not prevent them from using it, in fact, it may even increase the site’s appeal. COPPA currently bars kids under 13 from Facebook, yet many lie about their age, joining Facebook without the supervision of their in-the-dark parents. Without their parents’ counsel, they will be left even more vulnerable to cyber bullying and marketing tactics, thus negating the Act’s purpose. Children’s safety is of concern to Facebook, which already has multiple safety features in place. These include systems to flag and

eliminate child pornography; a partnership with Amber Alert — a tracking system for missing children; and relationships with school boards to help reduce cyber bullying, according to an Oct. 12 article in The New York Times. Parents, not the government, should be

YES

By Natalia Arguello-Inglis

N THE DIGITAL AGE, Facebook has a home in millions of bookmark bars around the world. However, 7.5 million of the 20 million minors who actively used Facebook last year were under the age of 13, and 5 million were under the age of 10 (www.

Should children under 13 be allowed to use social networking and other Internet services without parental consent? Two reporters weigh the pros and cons

responsible for monitoring their children’s Internet use, because the decision is best based on the child’s capability, not age. After all, the government cannot truly regulate the Internet use of young people. Parents are willing to help their children communicate via Facebook. More than three-fourths of parents stated that they would help their children lie on Facebook in order to use the site for educational benefits, according to a Nov. 8 New York Times article. While the Internet has risky elements, it connects us with people around the world. “In the future, software and technology will enable people to learn a lot from their fellow students,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at this year’s NewVenture education summit. We should not prevent the future generation from using a tool that will only grow in the future.

the legal protection of minors. Additionally, Facebook embeds cookies in its members’ Internet browsers that can track online activity outside of Facebook and can continue to do so even after the user has logged out. Such information can be used to tailor ads to a minor’s specific interests. This kind of advertising is troublesome as it can be used to build brand loyalty in children early in their development as a consumer. Facebook is a minefield of online mistakes for children who are not as Internetsavvy as more experienced Internet users. According to Consumer Reports, only 10 percent of parents with children under age 10 speak with their children about appropriate online behavior. Facebook’s page may provide children with the idea that Internet use can be taken lightly. In reality, once something is shared on the Internet, a simple misjudgment can become permanent. The site does have privacy options, but according to Consumer Reports, 66 percent of active ADULT hoi leung users either did not know that the options existed or did not know how to access them. If adults cannot decipher how to protect their private information through Facebook’s privacy options, how can we expect children to? Furthermore, some online mistakes can cause harm to minors, as Facebook can act as portal for cyberbullying. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center’s 2004-2010 study, about half of young people have experienced cyberbullying — which includes stalking and harassment — and 10 to 20 percent experience it regularly. Facebook endangers younger users who may not understand what constitutes as cyberbullying, both in impact and legal punishment. Through Facebook and other sites, sexual predators have the opportunity to prey on child users. The site’s terms of service explicitly state that no convicted sex offenders can join, sex offenders can and have gained access to the site under fake names and profile pictures. It is impossible to keep all from targeting child users. The only way to truly keep children under 13 safe is to keep those naïve minors from signing up altogether. Facebook is a very useful tool, but when put in the wrong hands, it may harm more than it helps.

consumerreports.org). Though a valuable tool for connecting with people, children under 13 are not capable of understanding the dangers and responsibilities that come with Facebook, and federal regulation should be tightened, not dismissed, to provide maximum safety to children using the web. Those 7.5 million minors under 13 violate Facebook’s online policy, which prevents anyone under 13 from legally signing up. However, by accessing the site under fake birth dates, pre-teens have skirted around both Facebook policy and federal law. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, enacted in 1998, prohibits websites from taking personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. Facebook’s ability to track its users and share their personal information with advertisers and third-party developers jeopardizes

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