# Should I let my 13 Year old use (The) Dope? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 31, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862 "2013-01-31T01:14:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![D.E.S.K.Top668](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@D.E.S.K.Top668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D.E.S.K.Top668)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/1 "2013-01-31T01:14:03Z")
My eldest D.E.S.K.Kid is 13. She ISN’T your average 13 year old; she’s never been average for her age. She’s always been in the Advanced classes in her schools. She’s more interested in Japanese culture then the mall. Her tastes run more to [Emilie Autumn](http://www.emilieautumn.com/) then Justin Beiber. For her age, she is a master in the art of sarcasm and dry humour. She’s read many threads on the SDMB and usually has either a pithy comment or wise word. So, for the TL;DR crowd, should I let her get an account if she wishes? Thanks in advance - DESK ---
**Author:** ![Glazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@Glazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glazer)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/2 "2013-01-31T01:19:23Z")
Sure, what’s the worse that could happen? ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/3 "2013-01-31T01:27:07Z")
> [@Glazer](#): > > Sure, what’s the worse that could happen? You must be new here. ---
**Author:** ![Butcher\_Cook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Butcher\_Cook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Butcher_Cook)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/4 "2013-01-31T01:33:04Z")
I would have to say no. There are people on this site who may influence her in such a manner as to cause her to cause harm to people, animals or plants. I worry not so much about the people or the animals, but the plants would not deserve such treatment. Just send her to soccer practice or something. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/5 "2013-01-31T01:35:02Z")
> [@Glazer](#): > > Sure, what’s the worse that could happen? Her getting a long ass putting. No seriously, let her join. I am learning a lot here even though I am usually criticized (tips hat to pancakes, who is probably the best at giving constructive criticism.) I am also learning a lot of new vocabulary. ETA: I am 15. ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/6 "2013-01-31T01:41:09Z")
Do you really want to expose her to 15 year olds who can’t spell “pitting”? She’d probably be bored. I vote no. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/7 "2013-01-31T01:44:56Z")
> [@Anonymous User](#): > > Her getting a long ass putting. Thirteen is definitely too young, but I’m sure there are many adult women who love a long ass putting. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/8 "2013-01-31T02:00:57Z")
> [@Implicit](#): > > Do you really want to expose her to 15 year olds who can’t spell “pitting”? > > She’d probably be bored. I vote no. Auto correct fail. Sorry. No seriously, I learned a lot from my pitting. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/9 "2013-01-31T02:08:31Z")
Send a PM to the mods and ask them. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/10 "2013-01-31T02:10:09Z")
My kid is about to turn 13, and hell no. She hears enough things I don’t really want her to hear from other kids. I’m not going to encourage her to hear it from adults too. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/11 "2013-01-31T02:20:07Z")
My 14 year old has had a Straight Dope account since his 13th birthday, but he doesn’t post much. It’s his own decision. We’d be happy for him to post here if he wanted. If there were more teens posting, he might post more. I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/12 "2013-01-31T02:32:48Z")
> [@D.E.S.K.Top668](#): > > For her age, she is a master in the art of sarcasm and dry humour. > She’s read many threads on the SDMB and usually has either a pithy comment or wise word. it would be wrong to not let her join. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/13 "2013-01-31T02:36:30Z")
We should have a Dope Jr. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/14 "2013-01-31T02:42:11Z")
Are you asking us a question, or is this an opportunity for you to tell us just how awesome you think your (entirely unremarkable) kid is? ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/15 "2013-01-31T02:50:29Z")
I generally let my kid be exposed to more stuff than a lot of parents (explicit music, some books for adults, my pothead friends, etc) and I seriously can’t figure out why anyone would want their 13 or 14 year old on here. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/16 "2013-01-31T02:52:01Z")
Just keep her away from Qin Shi Huangdi. He’s supposed to be a real playa with the teen girls. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/17 "2013-01-31T03:38:13Z")
Only if she has a really thick skin. While I love the Dope and there’s lots of great people with tons to share, there is also plenty of assholes who can make someone’s life a living hell if they don’t meet up to some nebulous standard. So, if you think she can hang with that being a possibility and her basically growing up here with her postings being constant future fodder, then I’d say let her. She could learn a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/18 "2013-01-31T03:39:24Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > We should have a Dope Jr. I wouldn’t mind at all if we had a forum for teens/young adults. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/19 "2013-01-31T03:48:35Z")
If she’s already reading the threads then she’s being exposed to most of the ‘worst’ that the Dope has to offer. If you feel like she can handle the inevitable too-blunt corrections and so on that might bother _any_ young adult regardless of the thickness of her skin, then go for it. ---
**Author:** ![drew870mitchell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drew870mitchell/32/3946_2.png) [@drew870mitchell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drew870mitchell)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/20 "2013-01-31T03:54:29Z")
I lurked on the Dope for a couple years around 13ish, or at least, before it became a paysite. I didn’t post here but I did on other fora and whenever I look back I realize I said some stupid shit. But on the whole I’m glad I did it. I think it did wonders for my typing and arguing skills. Timid “yes.” One thing I _did_ avoid was boards specifically for teens or young adults. I was already around teenagers 8+ hours a day in school. The last thing I wanted was to go home and hear the opinions of more teenagers. YMMV. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862.md?page=2)