...how old is approrpiate for one to have an email address?

Philippines
March 4, 2013 5:42am CST
Doing a project for my cousin is not a good experience that I want a repeat performance. But she did say that she need my help because her project needs to sent via email to her teacher's address. However, it turns out to my surprise that the email provider she chosen don't allow kids under 18 to have an email address. They can have one with the consent of the parent. we managed by aging her a few years to get the account. However, it clashes with my memory since I had my first email account (still does) when I was I only to years older than her but I am sure I wasn't eighteen back then. Is it a good policy to to have kids email addresses at a young (adolescent age)?
2 people like this
5 responses
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
5 Mar 13
My son have projects that needs to be sent t0 his teacher. And instead of using my email address, he made himself one. He was 12 years old then. He knew how and I wasn't against it. I know that he only uses if for schoolwork.
• Philippines
5 Mar 13
I think both your son and I were able to create any account without age restriction. like me, back then, it was just used for school work then evolved into use for family communication and business correspondence.
@chiyosan (30183)
• Philippines
5 Mar 13
I think it is always about eighteen when one is allowed to register for an American email Address right? But of course about tweens (in between teens) age some does register for an email so they can have email address to register for social networking sites. I remember i was college when I registered for an email address. And even n of these are efforts to v restrict them it still does not mean We can be sure they wont fake their Ages just so they can register for an account.
• Philippines
5 Mar 13
I was in high school but there were nor restrictions then. If this restriction was applied then it would have taken me a few years to get an account. I think most fake their birth year so that they can get the account.
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
4 Mar 13
Most email providers and websites say that the minimum age is 18 (some have 16), or 13 with the consent of parents. This relates to the legal requirements in the USA or whatever country the provider is based in. On the whole, I think that this is not unreasonable. There may be children who are at least as competent and responsible at 8 or 9 as any adult but that doesn't mean that EVERY child will be. I have known children who are very capable of driving a car or a tractor as soon as they are able to reach the controls but that does NOT mean that they should be allowed on the public roads. Any teacher who requires her students to email their projects to her when they are under the legal age to open an email account really needs her head examined! I really think strongly that this should be taken up with the head of the school.
• Philippines
5 Mar 13
I agree with your second statement. I think it should still be a case to case basis. I don't know about the teacher but if it was a computer subject, I wouldn't be surprised. But it wasn't and I guess the teacher has a grasp of what had been taught in other subjects. I also don't know if she knows that there is an age requirement in opening an email account.
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
4 Mar 13
In my country it's getting more and more normal for highschool students (from the age of 12 years old on) to send homework, ask questions about school/work, to read their lessons etc etc online and send it by email. schools are forcing parents to have a computer, a printer etc etc. So if this is something the school is asking for you have no other opportunity as to agree with it.
• Philippines
5 Mar 13
I guess the school expects every student to be computer literate and have computer hardware in their homes. If students don't have it, either they go for a shop that offers these services just to comply with the coursework.
@cttolledo (5454)
• Legaspi, Philippines
5 Mar 13
From where are you jeanny! if you don't mind! Well, generally speaking you can create an email account of you are atleast 18 years old. If you are in the Philippines, that teacher requirements is not valid. that teacher could suggest to submit it in email but absolutely cannot requires it as compulsory unless their subject is computer subject. That submission through email could be one of the options of submitting project but not the only option. But I think the teacher, thought that to help the students not to go to school and look after the teacher to submit project maybe the intention of the teacher is to just to help.
• Philippines
5 Mar 13
I don't know.The subject isn't computer but and I really don't know the intention of the teacher. I think t was compulsory because I keep insisting submitting on the last day of the project because I had computer work to do. My cousin keeps complaining to me because the teacher announces the students whoa already submitted and she had to be the last one. I don't why but I guess this is the trend in schools. In my day, we submit drafts or material for approval. we can only submitted the whole material after the material is discussed in class. BTW, this was in college.