At what age would you let your children online without supervising?

[Rainbow Dash]

I would at probably 13/14. I honestly believe unless you're completely naive/stupid I think you'll be fine :/ Obviously I would tell them what not to do but I think I could trust them.

[Stephanie]

I agree with 13. I'd hope my children would be wise enough then to use precaution. I wouldn't let them meet anyone offline or allow them to give details out until a while longer though, or without me checking it out first.

[losing touch.]

it would depend on the maturity of the child but probably 12 or 13. i'd make sure they knew all about online safety and not to give out personal details, etc.

[Rainbow Dash]

I ask this because I'm watching supernanny US right now The one girl is 14 and the other is 11. Jo Frost is saying how the parents should know their passwords for Myspace :/ I really don't agree with that. I think you should just trust them.

[noise94]

I think it would depend on the child, really. Some mature faster than others. I would say 13/14, but there would have to be rules and I would want to know who they were talking to, etc. But I wouldn't ask for passwords or anything. That's just asking for your kids to rebel.

[Soliloquy]

Yeah, I don't agree with parents knowing their kids' passwords. My mom has asked me to give her my password for my accounts on the internet a few times, but I'm not about to. I'm almost 17 and I think I'm rather trustworthy. Plus, I feel as though it's a violation of my privacy.

Although my mom still pushes the password thing sometimes, my sister and I are pretty much unsupervised on the internet. I was monitored closely until I was about 12 or 13, and the same went for my sister. Trust is an essential component in a parent/child relationship. If you can't trust each other, I don't believe that's really healthy. As much as I know parents would like to, they can't protect their children from the world forever. Sometimes, the only thing you can do is to give the ones you love the tools to deal with it and hope they do the right thing in the end.

With that said, I'd school my children on not giving out personal details and such; no sense in behaving precariously. But then, I'd do my best to trust them, enforcing the rules when necessary.

[Stephanie]

Originally Posted by Regina Phalange

I ask this because I'm watching supernanny US right now The one girl is 14 and the other is 11. Jo Frost is saying how the parents should know their passwords for Myspace :/ I really don't agree with that. I think you should just trust them.

I would never ask for their passwords, that's just an invasion of privacy, in my opinion.

[Marguerite]

I think probably about 12/13.

I get monitoring your kids myspace or w/e when they're really young and if they are under 11 then of course you should have their passwords (they shouldn't even be on myspace imo). I think when you police your kids so much they rebel.

I have been using the internet unsupervised since I was about ten and I don't think i've done anything really bad. I have enough common sense not to do thing like meet up with guys. My friend on the other hand who is 17 can't do anything without her mothers say so. I tried to add her of FB one time and her mother told her she wasn't allowed to be friends (on facebook) with me. She takes her phone and goes through ALL her messages. So you know what she does? Sends sexual messages to older guys at school and then deletes them off her phone. She has a secret facebook full of guys she doesn't know.

I think you just need to be frank with your kids and give them responsibility. "Don't talk to guys on the net or your grounded" doesn't work. Talking to them about how to be safe and being honest about the risks does, most of the time.

The only thing I wish my mum had told me about the internet is that what goes out stays their forever. Like I said, it's not like I'm sending out dangerous or sexual messages. It's just that my fourteen year old self was... a dumb fourteen year old. There is a lot of embarrassing stuff on my myspace or in forums (where I was stupid enough to either put my full name, my email address or my first name and where I live every once and a while). I don't want to have that haunt me when I'm older and trying to get a job or something

[Palmolive]

If there under the age of fourteen, I'd use the special things which will block certain sites and where I can see what they are going on.

If they are 14+ Ill let them take more responsibility after talking to them about using the internet safely.

[Kitty.]

I would say about 11 or 12.
I was browsing the internet by myself when I was 9 lol.

I will make sure my child understands internet safety and that kind of stuff.

I will not ask for passwords because I believe that is a violation of a child's privacy.

Trust is a very important part of the relationship between the child and the parent and I want my child to feel like I trust him/her.

[MegaMadness]

12ish and I wouldn't ask for passwords. But I would talk to my child about internet safety.

[The Morrigan]

Well, I was allowed to do anything I wanted on the computer from about age 10 and I've turned out fine (I think? ) so I'd say about that age.

Although I'd make sure they knew about internet safety and obviously talk to them about what dangers the internet can have.

[bitesize]

I'd say eleven or twelve. We didn't actually get the internt in our house til I was fifteen so I'm not really sure what age my parents would have let us start out at ~ I know they wouldn't let my brother have a Bebo at eleven though. It does depend on the child's amturity levels, but as long as you let them know about security and privacy, etc, and trust them, I think it's ok.

[Nostalgia]

i was aloud online unsupervised from about the age of 11 my parents decided then as i was going to high school was aloud my own first mobile/ cell phone, would be getting the school bus to school, would be making my own way to the bus stop and home from the bus stop after school. but the computer was in the family room in the front room so my parents could 'see' as such what i was doing but really didnt have much clue as to what i did online they could somewhat see the sites i was on (youtube, and forums), but it was really when i was about 14 /15 that i was aloud online complelty by myself. my mum had know idea of what i did online at that age.

my sister was aloud online unsupervised at 11 and shes now 14 and has her own laptop in her bedroom, i have my own laptop too but im 20 so it is slightly different though i did get my laptop when i was about 17/18 years old. i think it depends on the parents,like on supernanny today it showed an 11 year old with her own laptop and was talking to boys on it who are like 16 /17 years old. i think from about the age of 11 as long the kids are told what to do and what not to do and stuff like that and what to give out and what not to give out. it also depends on the kids themselves. but i think from about the age of 11 and up its okay as long the kids are taught about internet saftey!

[Conspiracy]

I think 12 or 13. I think it's important you let your child know that you trust them. If they feel like they're trusted I think they're less likely to do untrustworthy things. I got a myspace at 12 and my mom never asked to know my password, and I've never gotten into any trouble. Obviously it depends on the maturity of the child, but I think it's way over the top to ask for passwords, a total invasion of privacy.

[Nostalgia]

Originally Posted by Regina Phalange

I ask this because I'm watching supernanny US right now The one girl is 14 and the other is 11. Jo Frost is saying how the parents should know their passwords for Myspace :/ I really don't agree with that. I think you should just trust them.

i saw that episode, and tbh i thought it was wrong she wanted the passwords but the 11 year old talking to 16 and 17 years old was wrong and the fact her parents new nothing of that was even more wrong. my mum dont know the passwrod to my laptop and if she wanted to know the password to my laptop i would tell her then change it

[taylalatbh.]

I think about 13 or 14. But I would still use some sort of parental controls on the computer to protect the kids, and the computer! Most kids know how to run up hundreds on a farmville account these days! I don't want that happening.

[Guile]

Six or so sounds fine to me, I hope my children would be smart enough not to do anything dangerous, but I feel no desire to monitor them.

[hopefaithlove]

Originally Posted by Guile

Six or so sounds fine to me, I hope my children would be smart enough not to do anything dangerous, but I feel no desire to monitor them.

Wow. SIX? Six year olds in no way are "smart enough not to do anything dangerous." I feel bad for your kids.


It would probably be 13 or 14 for me as well. I'd keep my eye on the websites they used until 15 though.

[Pelios]

I can't really think of a good age for them to start using the computer because my cousin is 8 and in his computer class from school they are teaching them how to open an MSN account and setting up all the messenger thing and I think thats great because they are learning from an early age about computer things and the Internet so I would say that when the school starts to teach them about Internet safety and all that's a good age to start earning my trust and when they are older they can be alone on the Internet, maybe even come to TeenHelp

[BabyGirl747]

My parents didn't supervise us very much at all because they knew that we usually be playing computer games, but when I was in 9th grade they installed a spy program and my mom could read EVERYTHING including my personal myspace messages and email, it pissed me off that I was the one who had their emails and private things read, they(my parents) didn't read my older brothers stuff. Eventually they stopped but I would say Internet without supervision with strict rules(like no closing the window when I'm in the room what sites are they going on) at age 10 and less rules and no supervision at age 13 and no supervision and only two rules at age 16 and no supervision or rules at 18

[Fictional]

Originally Posted by Guile

Six or so sounds fine to me, I hope my children would be smart enough not to do anything dangerous, but I feel no desire to monitor them.

I agree. My brother's been on Runescape since he was five, and other than the occasional tantrum about his various accounts being hacked (he gives out his passwords quite a lot) he's been fine. Runescape and Youtube are just about all he uses a computor for. If my kids want to do that, it's fine by me, though I'd want to check out the site before I let them use it. Ultimately though, I think it depends on the child.

[Melody Pond]

When we first got the internet I was about 8/9 and it was downstairs in the dining room because it was the only place for it so my parents would walk past all the time to go to other places in the house and be able to see what we were doing. At that age I just played games and stuff.

When I got to 11/12 and started myspace and MSN my mum would walk past a lot more and find excuses to walk past a few times and would ask who I was talking too. I think she was part spying and part curious about who I was talking too as I had just started senior school and was making new friends.

As I got older she didn't care as much and then I got a laptop at 15

I was never properly taught about internet safety since social networking and MSN were pretty new at the time and the dangers weren't as well known. School teach this now and I imagine by the time I have children they will learn everything at school at a fairly young age and I would also teach them too. I think at around 8 I would still monitor them but just casually and occasionally wandering past not standing next to them the whole time and I wouldn't ask for passwords. At about 10 I would trust them to not do anything stupid but would still check websites out before they joined.
I think at about 14/15 I would let them have a laptop or PC in their room where I couldn't monitor anything. It sort of depends on what things and technology are like and what the norm is.

I think constant monitoring just encourages them to find other ways to do bad things online. I would rather look out for behaviour like suddenly closing windows when I walked in and being overly secretive when online and then I would start to monitor them more and talk to them about internet safety. Also while they are young I wouldn't let them have their own account on the PC it would be a shared one without a password so I could check the history if needed and if they hasn't deleted it.

[Tara.]

14/15. I think parents SHOULD know passwords.

[The ANTI-Troll]

7 or 8... just laydown the law tell them not to give out personal info and becarefull who they talk to... no supervision at all i know how much i hated my parents lurking over my shoulder when i was older or asking me what i was doing...parents SHOULDNT know passwords its a complete and disgracefull violation of the childs privacy and chances are likelly theyll just change it or make a different account...

[her_beautiful_mistake]

Depends what supervising means. I'd have parental controls on to stop them going onto sites I don't approve of. I would not approve of sites such as this one for eg. and would do everything possible to stop my child going on such sites.

Am I going to be stood over watching them? Nope who has time to do that. however the computer would be in a public space like the living room or dining room where I walk through until they get their own laptop which I wouldn't do until they need one for work, so maybe when they leave for Uni or start a levels at 16ish.

No one regardless of age would have an account on my computer/laptop that I don't have the password to! I wouldn't ask for myspace passwords I don't think (haven't thought about it) but I would reguarly check their myspace accounts to see what is up there.

[Cosmo]

Monitored from about 5-8, on their 9th birthday let them do what they want, but let them know the ground rules, online safety, privacy etc.

[emma01]

I reckon 13 is a good age to let them on, but there are some sites that dont let you on until you are 16. And in that case I would not let them on...because letting them on that using a fake age is kinda like saying 'fake ID is okay.' But really, it depends on my trust for the kid, when I was 13, my mum didn't need to know what I was on as I was never on the computer very much! Now she wonders a bit but I am 16 and she just almost fully trusts me.

[Boobies]

I wouldn't directly supervise them at all, unless they didn't know what they where doing =/ But that general doesn't happen at 6+ these days?
I wouldn't let them on social networking sites until they're at least 12, the they'd still have to have me as a friend (bahaha)
My children won't be careless enough to meet up with strangers from the internet though ^^

[Cosmo]

Originally Posted by emma01

I reckon 13 is a good age to let them on, but there are some sites that dont let you on until you are 16. And in that case I would not let them on...because letting them on that using a fake age is kinda like saying 'fake ID is okay.' But really, it depends on my trust for the kid, when I was 13, my mum didn't need to know what I was on as I was never on the computer very much! Now she wonders a bit but I am 16 and she just almost fully trusts me.

You mean to let them on the internet? Seriously? I mean, sure that might have worked in 1992, but in 2010 and, assuming your child was born when you were 18, 2025 LETTING THEM ON THE INTERNET? By then, you won't have the choice whether or not to let them on the internet anyway, so both arguments are actually null :|

[Melody Pond]

Originally Posted by Matthew

You mean to let them on the internet? Seriously? I mean, sure that might have worked in 1992, but in 2010 and, assuming your child was born when you were 18, 2025 LETTING THEM ON THE INTERNET? By then, you won't have the choice whether or not to let them on the internet anyway, so both arguments are actually null :|

I think she meant she wouldn't let them on site with age limits if they were under the age limit because it is like using a fake ID.

[Brandon]

I'd say 12 years old and I'd let them use unrestricted internet access for 15-30 minutes a day when they'd finish their chores and understand my rules for the internet. If they wanted to use that 15 minutes for porn, as long as I don't catch them, then I'm not gonna stop them.

[MisplacedDreamer]

When they can buy their own computer. So maybe sometime around 16 to 18.

I am going to install key loggers on all computers that I buy for them and I will ensure I have two or three running on each computer. When they move out, I will uninstall the keyloggers. I also won't be stupid and give my children my random numbered passwords and I will make sure the father doesn't know the passwords or understands not to tell the children under any circumstance.

[Casey.]

Originally Posted by Brandon

If they wanted to use that 15 minutes for porn, as long as I don't catch them, then I'm not gonna stop them.

Baha. Just tell them to erase their history after they are done.

Probably ten or twelve. Parental controls can keep them off R rated sites they wonder to by accident, and if it's not by accident, they'll be smart enough to get around the controls and delete their history. I wouldn't want my children's password, but I will be their facebook friend. My mum is my FB friend, and my siblings. It's how she keeps up with and talks to us, since we're all pretty old now. xD

Originally Posted by her_beautiful_mistake

I'd have parental controls on to stop them going onto sites I don't approve of. I would not approve of sites such as this one for eg. and would do everything possible to stop my child going on such sites.

So, you wouldn't let your child ask for help online and be able to help others? Why not? Sites like TH have made me a better person in real life.

[Cosmo]

Originally Posted by MisplacedDreamer

When they can buy their own computer. So maybe sometime around 16 to 18.

I am going to install key loggers on all computers that I buy for them and I will ensure I have two or three running on each computer. When they move out, I will uninstall the keyloggers. I also won't be stupid and give my children my random numbered passwords and I will make sure the father doesn't know the passwords or understands not to tell the children under any circumstance.

I'm confused, you're going to let them ON the internet at 16-18? Or you're going to let them go on unsupervised at 16-18? Keyloggers are morally wrong btw. You have ZERO right to see what they're talking about with friends. If you feel the need to monitor every move your child makes, just monitor the history and block adult sites.

[The ANTI-Troll]

Originally Posted by Matthew

I'm confused, you're going to let them ON the internet at 16-18? Or you're going to let them go on unsupervised at 16-18? Keyloggers are morally wrong btw. You have ZERO right to see what they're talking about with friends. If you feel the need to monitor every move your child makes, just monitor the history and block adult sites.

ditto..id hate to be her kid i know that

[IAm42]

Originally Posted by Strawberries

I would say about 11 or 12.
I was browsing the internet by myself when I was 9 lol.

I will make sure my child understands internet safety and that kind of stuff.

I will not ask for passwords because I believe that is a violation of a child's privacy.

Trust is a very important part of the relationship between the child and the parent and I want my child to feel like I trust him/her.

I agree with pretty much everything she said. I was also browsing the internet around 8/9 completely unsupervised.

I might let my kid on earlier than 11, though. Maybe 9 or 10. Depends on how responsible he/she is.

My parents did attempt to install parental controls and such when we got older, but I got em all off the computer in a week or less. It sucks to have a tech-savvy daughter, I think.

I don't think parents have any right demanding their kid's myspace password and such. Your kid has a right to privacy, believe it or not. Most kids end up fine without helicopter parents. Hell, honestly, I did bad things on the computer just to prove I could when my parents got overbearing.

[Ocean*girl2]

I saw some stuff I really shouldn't have as a kid because I think my parents trusted me too much or thought I was naive. So I would teach kids about safe sites and not really teach then about google searching whatever they want at around 8 and sort of slowly give them more freedom.

[MisplacedDreamer]

Originally Posted by Matthew

I'm confused, you're going to let them ON the internet at 16-18? Or you're going to let them go on unsupervised at 16-18? Keyloggers are morally wrong btw. You have ZERO right to see what they're talking about with friends. If you feel the need to monitor every move your child makes, just monitor the history and block adult sites.

Whenever they decide to buy their own computer. I'd estimate that they would have the money when they are in the latter teens. I have zero right? Who is the one that bought the computer? Who is the one paying for the Internet. When they can buy their own computer, then they have the right to privacy.

And monitoring the history? You can either turn it off or delete certain sections of it. I knew that when I was at least ten if not younger, I'd assume the kid would know it as well.

How are keyloggers morally wrong if they are on my computers? I don't intend on getting married, by the way. So if I have children, it will probably be out-of-wedlock and I will probably be raising them in a single-parent household. Keyloggers are only morally wrong if they are on other people's computers and once again, the computer will be mine since I was the one paying for it. Plus I wouldn't let other people borrow my computer.

Once again, there is no right to privacy if they use my computers that I paid for. They can either go to the library or call their friends. Plus if they don't want me to know about what they are doing, then they probably shouldn't be doing it. Or they can get a job and save up money for their own computer.

I think the biggest disagreement is in terms of money. Most kids on this site probably have never paid for their own computer or pay their own Internet bill considering the ages of the teenagers on here. I understand the expenses of paying for the Internet, the risks of being caught downloading, and how much it costs if a computer is broken/damaged/stolen. Plus I also don't want my children to be sitting on the computer for over an hour per day.

One thing that amuses me is how much people think they are not giving out information. If someone went through everything I have posted on here, they would probably have an idea of where to find me. It would be harder considering this is not my usual screen name and I stole it for use on this site. My AIM is set up for this site although it is linked to my usual screen name.

Two years ago, there was a girl on this site that was very scared and confused because a chat troll kept on naming people from school in attempts to show that he knew her. They probably found her through the fact that she used the same screen name on a social networking site that had a group for her school that she had joined. So he was naming people off from that group, hence how he named people she knew and named others she didn't know.

Then another time (probably three years ago), another member had someone start to harass her and threaten her cats over a comment she made on some other forums. Once again, she used the same screen name so just by googling it, I came across her Youtube account that had videos of her cats and the other forum she had joined.

So, people give information out without even meaning to. There was an episode on Oprah where a cop showed a girl how easy it is to accidentally give out too much information. They had been talking for about two weeks and he was posing as a teenage boy to lure predators in a chat room. The girl told him her first name, her softball team colors, her number, and the fact that she had a game in that period of two weeks (she thought he was a teenager). He showed up to her softball game and then followed her home. Then he explained to her the dangers and how he had tracked her.

[Cosmo]

Originally Posted by MisplacedDreamer

Whenever they decide to buy their own computer. I'd estimate that they would have the money when they are in the latter teens. I have zero right? Who is the one that bought the computer? Who is the one paying for the Internet. When they can buy their own computer, then they have the right to privacy.

And monitoring the history? You can either turn it off or delete certain sections of it. I knew that when I was at least ten if not younger, I'd assume the kid would know it as well.

How are keyloggers morally wrong if they are on my computers? I don't intend on getting married, by the way. So if I have children, it will probably be out-of-wedlock and I will probably be raising them in a single-parent household. Keyloggers are only morally wrong if they are on other people's computers and once again, the computer will be mine since I was the one paying for it. Plus I wouldn't let other people borrow my computer.

Once again, there is no right to privacy if they use my computers that I paid for. They can either go to the library or call their friends. Plus if they don't want me to know about what they are doing, then they probably shouldn't be doing it. Or they can get a job and save up money for their own computer.

I think the biggest disagreement is in terms of money. Most kids on this site probably have never paid for their own computer or pay their own Internet bill considering the ages of the teenagers on here. I understand the expenses of paying for the Internet, the risks of being caught downloading, and how much it costs if a computer is broken/damaged/stolen. Plus I also don't want my children to be sitting on the computer for over an hour per day.

One thing that amuses me is how much people think they are not giving out information. If someone went through everything I have posted on here, they would probably have an idea of where to find me. It would be harder considering this is not my usual screen name and I stole it for use on this site. My AIM is set up for this site although it is linked to my usual screen name.

Two years ago, there was a girl on this site that was very scared and confused because a chat troll kept on naming people from school in attempts to show that he knew her. They probably found her through the fact that she used the same screen name on a social networking site that had a group for her school that she had joined. So he was naming people off from that group, hence how he named people she knew and named others she didn't know.

Then another time (probably three years ago), another member had someone start to harass her and threaten her cats over a comment she made on some other forums. Once again, she used the same screen name so just by googling it, I came across her Youtube account that had videos of her cats and the other forum she had joined.

So, people give information out without even meaning to. There was an episode on Oprah where a cop showed a girl how easy it is to accidentally give out too much information. They had been talking for about two weeks and he was posing as a teenage boy to lure predators in a chat room. The girl told him her first name, her softball team colors, her number, and the fact that she had a game in that period of two weeks (she thought he was a teenager). He showed up to her softball game and then followed her home. Then he explained to her the dangers and how he had tracked her.

Two things. But one small thing first, I actually paid all £600 of my laptop through graphics design

First. I presume you think it'd be okay to tail your kids in real life to follow the conversations with their friends? If so, thank lord I'm not your child.

Two. They are morally wrong because you are invading their rights of privacy, which are given at birth, not earned by the way. How would YOU feel if someone was monitoring every single key you typed while you talked to your friends? You'd feel violated and scared. Well, most people would.