Being Truthful About Ages

[Vixensykerd]

I'm not here to tell you how to raise your kids but, from personal experience, if you let them do more there more likely to tell you what they're doing - so less likely to get hurt doing it. When I was 12 I tried to shave my legs without telling my mum (because I thought she wouldn't let me) and cut myself really badly. She sat me down (after stemming the blood flow) and told me if I ever wanted to do anything, tell her, and we can do it more saftely together.

 

Anyway, that said, I think we do need these safe guards, but thats not the question. If parents like you moniter properly what their kids do, or the kids are honest, then brilliant! Also, these safe guards legally protect the neopets company, which is so important in this day and age. The question is "Is it ok to lie about your age on neopets". And I say, if you want to, then why not? Surely thats the point in neopets - to exscape to a world where you can make money by playing computer games and forget to feed your pet for months and it still be fine after 3 helpings of omlette? In short, be whoever you want!

[Shane for Wax]

COPPA is supposed to make parents aware of what their children are doing. http://www.coppa.org/coppa.htm

 

COPPA probably wouldn't need to have been enacted if parents were more active in their children's lives and didn't use the internet as a babysitter.

[Domino]

I understand about how Neo wants to protect naiive children from any creeper who might take advantage of that, but I don't think that it should be 13. Maybe 10 or something. It's hard to measure the maturity level of children, and their sense of what they should be allowed to do, and what they know not to do (like giving out personal information). I lied on my old accounts about my age, although I didn't go on the boards or join a guild or anything, so it didn't really matter. Although when I tried to log back in later, I couldn't remember the birth date that I had created that was completely random. :/ I also feel like it wasn't as big of a deal before. Now, Neo has gotten quite a bit stricter with it's rules and regulations, and I don't know if its such a good idea. *shrugs*

[dragonlady]

I'm not here to tell you how to raise your kids but, from personal experience, if you let them do more there more likely to tell you what they're doing - so less likely to get hurt doing it. When I was 12 I tried to shave my legs without telling my mum (because I thought she wouldn't let me) and cut myself really badly. She sat me down (after stemming the blood flow) and told me if I ever wanted to do anything, tell her, and we can do it more saftely together.

 

I totally agree with what you're saying here, and at my house, my children probably have more freedoms in what is acceptable to say and do than most. It's a silly comparison, but I let my daughter start shaving her legs at 8, she has her own cell phone, I don't chastise her for any topic of conversation, etc-things that lots of other parents wouldn't agree with.

 

I just don't agree that the internet is the place to allow those freedoms. Cell phones and leg shaving aren't going to get her into trouble I can't protect her from. Freedom for children on the net is like letting them wander dangerous streets alone. The internet has wonderful things-you can learn about any topic, it's like an unlimited dictionary for learning, and a place to meet interesting people you otherwise would not....but there is just as much negative to the positive, and I don't think that 10 is old enough to make snap judgments as to what is safe, and what could possibly endanger them.

[June]

When I signed up to neopets I was 9, so it didn't even OCCUR to me to lie-my parents were supervising my play. They eventually sent those forms that neo has (or used to have, idk?) that gave you chat/neomail acess regardless of age. But honestly, if I had been signing up unsupervised at 12, I would have lied. Its just easier to have chat and neomail. Neopets has such intense filters on profanity that its not really doing any damage- sites like gaia with totally open forums (save for blatant cybering) are way worse.

 

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