The world of the Internet, and more specifically that of social networks, is one in which you do not want your child to start before they should. And although both Facebook and Instagram have rules in which they establish that all users must be at least 13 years of age to create an account, that does not mean that there are no children under that age using social networks.
By simply entering a false birth date , a minor can easily create an account. Therefore, if you discover that a child under the minimum age allowed has an account on any of these social networks, you must report it yourself so that it can be deactivated.
How to report a minor’s account on Facebook
If you discover the account of a minor under the age of 13, this is what you should do to report it to Facebook so that they can take action on the matter:
- Enter the Facebook profile of the minor.
- Copy the link from his profile. Be sure to include your username.
- Now, open the form to report a minor’s account on Facebook .
- Paste the link , add the child’s full name, actual age, and other information that may be helpful during the review.
- Press Send .
By making this report, Facebook will evaluate the case and based on the information you have provided , it will decide whether the profile is indeed violating the conditions of use of the social network.
There is a possibility that the minor can verify that his account is not infringing any regulation regarding the minimum age , presenting details such as official documents or proof of identity. Otherwise, Facebook will permanently deactivate your account.
How to report a minor’s account on Instagram
In the event that you come across the account of a minor on Instagram, these are the steps to follow:
- Enter the form to report accounts of minors on Instagram .
- Fill out the form with the requested information. You will be asked to enter the username of the account, the full name of the reported person, the person’s date of birth, your relationship to this person, and your email address. The more information you provide, the better.
- Once the report is complete, press Submit.
It is important to emphasize that not all the accounts of minors that you find on Instagram violate the rules of the platform. There are some accounts for minors that are managed by parents or a guardian. When a minor’s account presents evidence that that profile is not actually being managed by an adult, Instagram will allow the account to continue active.
Did you find out that your child has a Facebook or Instagram account without your consent?
The scenario where you discover that your child has opened an account on a social network without your consent is possible. So, in case you discover that he has an account secretly and you consider that he is not ready to have it, you have the option to ask him to delete it or report it to him indicating that he does not meet the minimum age requirement as shown above. On the other hand, you can also allow them to keep the account, but keep it under your supervision.
If you allow your underage child to have an Instagram or Facebook account, you must take into account the following considerations:
- In the case of Facebook, you can configure your child’s profile so that not all users can see their posts. You want to make sure they don’t add strangers and don’t make posts that could expose them. In the same way, in this article we explain how you can configure a Facebook profile to make it more private.
- Now, if your child has an Instagram account, you’ll want to do the same thing about setting their profile to be as private as possible, only in this case, the setup steps will be a little different. Another thing that you can also do is configure your Instagram account so that you do not receive messages from strangers.
- If you don’t have an account on any of these social networks, consider creating one. This way you can familiarize yourself with them and add or follow your child so you can be more attentive to their activities. Although, in the case of Facebook, there is a way in which you can monitor their profile if you ask for your child’s account details.
How to request your child’s account data on Facebook
This is a type of report generated by Facebook in which you can see what your child does within the platform. You must take into account that in order to request your child’s account data it is mandatory to verify that you are indeed the parent or guardian, otherwise your request will be rejected. These are the steps to follow to fill out the form:
- Open the Facebook child data request form .
- Enter the child’s first and last name .
- Paste the URL of your child’s Facebook account.
- Enter the email address or mobile phone number your child used to register the account.
- Choose the age range of your child. You will see Under 13 and Over 13 options.
- In the dropdown menu below, choose the year your child was born.
- Select the certified documentation in the Notarial Act tab.
- Add your first and last name, email address and country of residence.
- Once everything is ready, click Submit.
Why should you report a minor’s account?
There are people who may not see a real danger in a minor having a Facebook or Instagram account. However, there are reasons why children should wait until they are a certain age to enter this world. Here are some of the reasons:
This is definitely a real problem that many people deal with today. Exposing your child from an early age increases the chances that they end up creating some kind of dependency on social media.
If you have already made the decision to allow your child to open an account on a social network, what you can do to avoid addiction to networks is to establish a time for your child to use their Facebook account, for example. You can also encourage him to get involved in recreational activities or sports so he doesn’t have as much time for social media.
Cyber bullying
Social networks are also known for being the place where cyberbullying occurs the most. If you’re worried about your child receiving these kinds of messages, apps like Messenger Kids can be a safer option, where you can have more control over your child’s conversations.
mental health problems
Social networks by themselves already generate certain negative effects on adults, in fact, there is research in this regard where it is verified that both Facebook and Instagram can have a negative impact on people’s mental health. Now, imagine that your child is exposed to these types of stimuli from an early age. Nothing good comes out of it.
Since social media is notorious for portraying an unrealistic version of life in general, this can definitely affect children in a negative way.
inappropriate content
Although both Facebook and Instagram have rules that establish that they will penalize those users or accounts that publish explicit and inappropriate content, that does not mean that this type of content will not be published.
If your child were to create a social media account by entering a false birth date, it would increase the chance that they will be exposed to age-inappropriate content. It is best to wait until he meets the minimum age allowed.
Sooner or later, your child will create an account
If one thing is certain, it is that sooner or later your child will end up creating an account on some social network. The world has changed and social networks are definitely part of the present and the future and there is not much you can do about it. Therefore, the best thing will be that when you feel that your child is ready for social networks, you are present to supervise and guide him.
You need to make sure that you explain to your child how social media should be used. The fact that your child is introduced to this world can be an opportunity to show him the importance of privacy on the Internet, explain to him that the things he writes and shares in general can have a certain impact, make it clear to him what are the things that are best do not publish, among other things.
It is your job to show your child the good side of social media and that it can be used as a great tool.
