Allowing a minor to register for a social networking site is fully up to the discretion of the parents. 

Many social networking sites do have a minimum age to use their service.  These will be spelled out in the site’s Terms of Use statement.   While a social networking site could be a great opportunity for your child to mingle with friends from school and extracurricular activities, it also opens doors for other people on the site to make contact with your child as well. If you choose to allow your child to sign-up for a social networking site, there are a few things that can be done to protect your child without limiting their usability. First, make sure to manually set your child’s privacy settings (standard for most legitimate sites) at levels that you find acceptable for your child. This will allow your child to have access to only certain trusted people, and allow only trusted people that are known to your child to have access to their information. Second, lay some ground rules for use of the site and make sure your child understands proper use. Finally, occasionally access your child’s page to make sure that they are following the ground rules and verify that nothing irregular is happening. By following these simple guidelines, social networking can remain a fun and safe environment for your child to experience.