So, When can I get a FB page?

This morning Jay and I were doing a little yard work when she came over to where I was pulling weeds out of the cosmos flowers and asked, "So, how old do I have to be to have my own Facebook page?" Of course I felt a bit of anxiety creep in because I knew she would not be happy with my response, which meant I would feel obligated to explain.

"Well, why do you want a Facebook page?" I asked her, glad my sister's wisdom of "ask lots of questions first!" came to me.

"I don't know," was Jay's response. This is one preteen response I detest, by the way.

"Well then it doesn't really sound like you need to be on Facebook if you can't articulate why you want a page," I said. "Do your friends get on Facebook?"

"Some of them do," she said, then proceeded to rattle off all of ONE name.

"Ahh, I see. Well what would you want to do on Facebook?" I asked.

"I don't know, I like commenting," was the answer my 10-year-old gave.

"You can't have a Facebook page because you are too young. And you won't be allowed to use it until you are, probably, in high school," I said. "I've heard too many stories of girls bullying other girls not only at school, but especially via text and Facebook. When people talk online, it's very hard to tell the emotion behind what they are saying, that alone can cause a lot of problems among friends."

In short, Facebook brings about too many nuances that work against kids and the dynamics they have in their social circles. Some kids are fine using the social networking sites, I don't want to find out that my kids are unable to handle a social life in cyberspace. For me, keeping them off Facebook equals one less fire to put out.

Then I told her about the story I saw on Good Morning America about the teenage girl who had been tormented so badly on Facebook (at school as well) by other girls that she took her own life. That story alone was enough to convince me that it is all too easy to say something online to destroy a person, then hide out behind the computer screen - I've seen it happen among adults - and it seems easiest to keep my own children out of the fray.

What are your thoughts? Please feel free to share even if you don't agree with my take on the Facebook thing!