What is Facebook?
Facebook is the original social network, owned by Meta. It offers profiles, a news feed, groups, marketplace, events, Reels, live streaming, gaming, and a dating section. While most teens have moved on to other platforms, Facebook is still used for groups (school groups, sports teams, local communities), marketplace, and events. Many teens have accounts because their parents set them up, or because they need access to specific groups.
Age limit: 13 years.
Why do kids like it?
- School, club, and sports groups. A lot of practical information is shared in closed Facebook groups — training schedules, homework, events.
- Marketplace. Buying and selling second-hand items, especially among older teens.
- Events and party invitations. Facebook Events is still widely used for organising and sharing events.
- Family connections. Grandparents, relatives abroad, and older family members are often on Facebook.
- Sign in with Facebook. Many third-party apps and websites offer Facebook login, which requires an account.
- Reels from Instagram. Content cross-posted from Instagram appears in the Facebook feed.
What are the real risks?
- Extensive data collection. Meta’s business model is built on collecting and using personal data. Facebook knows a great deal about its users.
- Public profile by default. New profiles are often visible to everyone unless settings are actively changed.
- Marketplace scams. Young people buying or selling can encounter scammers or be tricked into meeting strangers.
- Groups can expose them to strangers and misinformation. Open groups may contain people they don’t know, and the algorithm can amplify misinformation.
- Facebook Dating is intended for 18+, but may be accessible to younger users who have entered a false age.
- Old posts and photos resurface. Content published years ago can be found and re-shared.
- Real name policy makes people easy to find. Facebook’s policy of using real names means profiles are searchable.
- Location check-ins. Children may share their location without considering the consequences.
- Third-party app permissions. Apps using Facebook login can gain access to personal information.
- Political and conspiracy content. The algorithm can expose young people to content that is not age-appropriate.
Settings to check
- Privacy Checkup: Go to Settings → Privacy → Privacy Checkup. Work through all the steps.
- Profile set to Friends Only: Under Privacy, set “Who can see your future posts” to “Friends”.
- Limit friend requests: Set “Who can send you friend requests” to “Friends of friends”.
- Review app permissions: Settings → Apps and Websites. Remove apps that are no longer used.
- Turn off location history: Settings → Location → turn off Location History.
- Review tagging: Enable “Review tags” so that tagged photos must be approved before appearing on the profile.
- Limit visibility of older posts: Settings → Privacy → “Limit Past Posts”.
- Disable facial recognition: Settings → Face Recognition → turn off.
- Set up two-factor authentication: Settings → Security → Two-Factor Authentication.
How to talk about it
“Do you have a Facebook account? What do you use it for?”
“Which groups are you part of? Is there anyone in them you don’t know?”
“Have you bought or sold anything on Marketplace? What was that like?”
“Let’s have a look at your privacy settings together — there’s a lot you can adjust.”
“Do you know which apps have access through your Facebook account?”
Last reviewed: March 2026