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Should young children be allowed a Facebook account?

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Matthew Murchie, 15, St Joseph's College

Most of us log onto Facebook every day, check out the latest gossip, join a couple of interesting groups and wish happy birthday to a friend who pops up on our notifications.

None of us even think about the potential dangers lurking behind the social networking site. This is simply because we're mature, but can the same be said about a young child? Can they tell the difference betwen a friend request from an innocent person and one from a criminal?

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Can they distinguish between good and bad language they come across on Facebook?

The problem with young children having a Facebook account is they cannot decide what is harmless and what is unsafe. They are exposed to a variety of dangers - from child molesters to cyber bullies - yet they are far too young to cope with them.

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Another serious problem is that Facebook can be addictive and young children could spend hours on it, completely neglecting their studies.

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