# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/41 "2013-01-31T15:12:23Z")
> [@Glazer](#): > > Sure, what’s the worse that could happen? \*Poll: Favorite Orifice? Should I let my 13 Year old use (The) Dope? \* (Sequential a moment ago, anyway) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/42 "2013-01-31T15:13:35Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > We’ve had 12-13 year olds whose contribution to the board was appropriate and welcome, and we’ve had some who were mostly annoying. And, I suspect, a fair number who weren’t actually 12-13. ---
**Author:** ![mage-girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@mage-girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mage-girl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/43 "2013-01-31T15:25:06Z")
The Straight Dope is pretty civil. I would be concerned about some of our threads with overtly sexual content however, and some of the things that are said in the Pit. If she’s into anime, is she on Gaia Online? It’s an online avatar community with forums. Theoretically free, unless she wants to get better items for her avatar. You get some coins and basic items just for joining. I spend $10 a month because things keep catching my eye. 🙂 Gaia is mainly aimed at teens/young adults. (I am older than that but I love my little avatar!) There are some content issues from time to time but some of that can be blocked. Forums cover everything from TV shows, books, anime, video games, even life issues. Might be a good place for her to start her forum experience. Whatever the two of you decide on, good luck! ---
**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, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/44 "2013-01-31T16:59:30Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > Don’t come into a thread just to snark and insult. We have a big ole wide open Pit just for that purpose! Try it, you’ll like it. I found what crawled up my ass last night, dragged it out back, and shot it. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/45 "2013-01-31T17:04:49Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > My personal opinion is that this is an adult board, with adult topics and conversation. While some threads and areas might be interesting for a teen, most are not really suitable. > > The only reason why we allow 13 year olds on the boards is because it’s a holdover from the AOL days, when we pretty much had to let them use the site. I would prefer that we didn’t allow members to be under 16, and having a minimum age of 18 would be better. > > It’s like the kids who like to hang out at adult gatherings, sure, they might enjoy feeling like one of the grownups, but sometimes the adults want to be with other adults, and not have to worry about censoring themselves. > > When my daughter was 13, I let her watch _Rocky Horror Picture Show_, I let her read books with sexual content (not explicit), and I let her be exposed to quite a lot of stuff. I would have let her read the SDMB if it had been around when she was 13, but I wouldn’t have let her participate in it. But think about how impressive a young Jesus was to the Temple Elders! ---
**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, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/46 "2013-01-31T17:07:46Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > But think about how impressive a young Jesus was to the Temple Elders! Think about how a young Jesus would fare on this message board. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/47 "2013-01-31T18:48:27Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > I found what crawled up my ass last night, dragged it out back, and shot it. I am quite glad to hear your ass is now your own. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/48 "2013-01-31T18:55:11Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Think about how a young Jesus would fare on this message board. 😃 True. 🙂 Probably not too well, I reckon. ---
**Author:** ![steviep24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@steviep24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steviep24)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/49 "2013-01-31T18:57:39Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/50 "2013-01-31T19:44:50Z")
I don’t see any harm in having her give it a try. The Dope is a fairly self-regulating entity: new people join, some of them have the optional step of making absolute asses of themselves before they realize what the culture’s like while some manage to avoid that, and eventually they either fit in with the culture and stay or else they end up leaving because they don’t. I don’t have a problem with kids on the board–the only thing I would have a problem with is any expectations that the adults who form its majority censor or regulate their contributions in any way because there are kids around. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/51 "2013-01-31T20:34:12Z")
One suggestion: If she does join- I recommend against introducing her as your daughter / recommend against her introducing herself as your daughter. Allow her the same benefit of anonymity that we all start with. Allow her the opportunity to establish a reputation based on the content of her contributions. People may never realize she’s so young. ETA: Make sure she understands that making a post that ends up being the start of Page 2 means that the poster is totally awesome and cool and gets free donuts for a week. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/52 "2013-02-01T00:06:57Z")
I wouldn’t fucking do it. People around here say “fuck” a lot. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/53 "2013-02-01T00:26:36Z")
Stupid question but, does she want to? That is, did she ask you or did you ask her? It wasn’t clear in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/54 "2013-02-01T00:39:02Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Think about how a young Jesus would fare on this message board. 😃 WWJP ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/55 "2013-02-01T01:02:42Z")
> [@Strainger](#): > > I wouldn’t fucking do it. People around here say “fuck” a lot. So do a lot of 13 year olds. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/56 "2013-02-01T01:15:51Z")
Shit. Piss. Cunt. Fuck. Bollocks. Faggots. Niggers. “Rio” by Duran Duran. Hitler. Penis ensues. Pan fried semen. Experiments with ladles. Declawed cats. Mariana’s Trench, once every twenty minutes. Raping clowns. Dead baby jokes. Paper towel tubes. Coprophagy. Necrophilia. _George Bush_, for God’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/57 "2013-02-01T03:06:50Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > No. Not for your kid’s sake, but for the rest of us. Nobody cares what a 13 year old has to say. > > **Shakes** , you don’t need to white knight this post too, save your energy! However, it would be funny if **Ellen** did. 😃 ---
**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:** [February 1, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/58 "2013-02-01T03:20:29Z")
\*\*\*\*First off, I hit post instead of preview last night; this wasn’t the final draft. That being said, I appreciate the responses yes or no. The (IMHO) jerk ones, I pretty much ignored. This is one of my favorite replies… > [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > My personal opinion is that this is an adult board, with adult topics and conversation. While some threads and areas might be interesting for a teen, most are not really suitable. > > The only reason why we allow 13 year olds on the boards is because it’s a holdover from the AOL days, when we pretty much had to let them use the site. I would prefer that we didn’t allow members to be under 16, and having a minimum age of 18 would be better. > > It’s like the kids who like to hang out at adult gatherings, sure, they might enjoy feeling like one of the grownups, but sometimes the adults want to be with other adults, and not have to worry about censoring themselves. > > When my daughter was 13, I let her watch _Rocky Horror Picture Show_, I let her read books with sexual content (not explicit), and I let her be exposed to quite a lot of stuff. I would have let her read the SDMB if it had been around when she was 13, but I wouldn’t have let her participate in it. I see what you mean. Even though she always has a “verbal post” response, that’s different then actually posting it and getting responses to HER post. > [@World Trade Center Plane Crash](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-trade-center-plane-crash/80850/184): > > Stupid question but, does she want to? That is, did she ask you or did you ask her? It wasn’t clear in the OP. Our PC’s are next to each other (I draw the line at her PC being in her room.) We were both on the same thread in the pit. She told me how to respond. . I said “That’s not what i would answer” Her response was "I need an account so I can tell the b-head what **I** think. Hence this thread. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2013, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/59 "2013-02-01T03:27:51Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > No. Not for your kid’s sake, but for the rest of us. Nobody cares what a 13 year old has to say. Some 13 year olds have quite a few intelligent things to add; some adults, not to much. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862/60 "2013-02-01T03:42:57Z")
> [@D.E.S.K.Top668](#): > > Her response was "I need an account so I can tell the b-head what **I** think. ARRGH! Let her sign up, I want to know what she thinks of the b-head!!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-use-the-dope/648862.md?page=4)