Facebook for Parents
- Parents, you can understand Facebook best by creating your own page
- When you get a page, check out the privacy and security settings
- See if your kids will let you "friend" them
- Watch this quick tip to show you how
Advice and Answers
It only takes a moment to learn.
Facebook. Our teens love it. We hear lots of negative things about it -- the sex, the bad behavior, the drinking pictures, the irresponsibility. And all that stuff can be there. But Facebook can also be a great way for kids to stay in touch with their friends and showcase their interests (and have fun). Take a look at our 90 second video because it will help you learn the essentials for creating your own page. Once you do that, you can ask your kids to link to you. Even if they don't, there's nothing like understanding how something works to lessen our anxieties. Read our review, watch the video, then have fun exploring.Tips for "friending" on Facebook
- Start with your kids' age. If they're in middle school, it may be a sound policy to know what they're posting, since kids that age don't necessarily understand that they're creating a digital footprint that will long outlast the passions of the moment.
- Talk to your high school-aged teens about whether or not they're comfortable letting you friend them. Many will be. This is a case of "know your kid," and it comes down to trust. But establish rules: No drug talk, no nudity, no pictures of drinking, no hate speech, no bullying, and no posting party locations -- all of these lead to ruin. Most of all, remind your teens that whatever they post will be in the cyberworld forever. (Keep watching Facebook's Terms of Service, by the way, since a recent -- and almost as recently recanted -- update said that the company owned everything anyone posted forever.)
- Don't fill your kids' pages with your comments. As it is, simply having parents is mortifying enough at this age. Their friends don't need evidence of your existence (and you can always send them private messages).
- Don't friend your kids' friends. See reasons above.
- Remember: They can see what you post. If you're a friend, also be a role model. Keep your nose clean.
- Choose your battles. You will see the good, the bad, and the truly unfathomable. If you don't want your kids to unfriend you, don't comment on every transgression. Keep it general.
- Remember, you're the parent. Even if you aren't your kids' Facebook "friend," your job is still to pass your values along to them and to help them learn how to be safe and responsible on or offline.
I talk to friends, play the all-too-addictive FarmVille, and express my support for various musicians, celebrities, and causes.
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I have a page and am "friends" with my 15 y.o. son. I like reading all his friends' comments, looking at their photos, etc. It's fun and I feel like I am reliving my teen years through them. I don't get involved at all, I simply observe. I find the concept of looking up people from my past kind of interesting as well. I do feel it would be awkward to ask them to be my "friend" out of the blue, some of them I haven't seen in over 30 years. I just find the whole thing king of needless and self-serving. What would be the point? But other than that, Facebook is a fun way to spend a little time on the internet.
I have reconnected with old friends, made new ones, and found a place that is fun and safe. :)
sorry, typed my opinion on the wrong page.
I've reconnected with lots of people I knew in high school and college -- more years ago than I care to remember. And I've seen a more personal side of people who I've known through professional and volunteer work. Plus, I spend way too much time playing a word game called Twirl. It's addictive!
Princess Pixie, did you read the question posted?
Connect with friends and prepare myself for when my kids want a social networking page.
Yes, I do