21 Aug 2013

LinkedIn Lowers Age Minimum To 14

Since I made my LinkedIn profile when I was in high school, it had never occurred to me that the professional networking site had an age minimum. It makes perfect sense though because while I am the biggest advocate for the site, I have seen it be used and abused for dating. Not only is it distasteful that people would do that or that it is my biggest peeve, but it makes people that use it for professional purposes lose their trust in it. Not even they are safe from unwanted advances on LinkedIn!

That would be my biggest concern when I learned that LinkedIn has decided to lower the age minimum to 14. In this day and age, entrepreneurs are getting started younger and younger and that’s great for them! I see them using it as a tool for connecting with those that will help them in their career, finding a mentor, and even learning how to build a resume (a good one!) if they don’t utilize their college resources or have no outlet for that. There are pros and cons to both sides of it. I hope that those at 14 will use it wisely and I hope that those well over 14 will not take advantage of those who are.

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