Social media catechesis?
Last week it was reported that Facebook is thinking about lowering their minimum age so that kids under the age of 13 can join the social network, with parental supervision. Many people think this is a bad idea, and some have even suggested that the age requirement should be raised.
As someone who works with youth, I know that many kids under the age of 13 are already using Facebook, sometimes even with their parents' permission and help. I may have a different perspective when my own son is 11 years old, but right now I don’t necessarily think this is a bad thing.
Social networks are not fads, and they are more than just communication tools. As I’ve been studying all week in a Doctor of Ministry course on The Gospel and Global Media Cultures, digital technologies have changed our culture and will continue to do so. “Protecting” youth from social networks like Facebook is a misguided endeavor because our children are already being shaped by the broader digital culture emerging and evolving around the globe.
