You may not be ready for your child to use Facebook, but it’s going to happen, and the best way you can protect them is to be right there with them when it does. Today, social networking is a part of life, and getting started is just part of growing up. In fact, you may be putting your child at a disadvantage by trying to stop them. That does not mean it should be a free-for-all. It does mean that you need to get involved and learn your way around.
Facebook for the Whole Family
If your teenager is on Facebook, you should be too. You need to be friends with your kid on Facebook and other social networks that they join, and keep an eye on what they are posting. Then, be aware that you may not be seeing everything. You won’t be able to see private messages this way, and, most kids know how to set up an account their parents know about, and a second account that they keep secret from their parents.
Talk About It
Monitor what your children do online, and don’t go behind their backs to do it. Let them know that you are watching and that’s just what parents do. If they catch you being sneaky and snooping, you’ll lose their trust and damage your credibility.
Talk about appropriate posting, what should be kept private, and the importance of respecting the privacy of others. Teach your kids not to post their personal information or the personal information of others on Facebook. The golden rule applies here, and if you child mistreats others online their peers are likely to respond in kind.
Privacy Settings
Use Facebook’s privacy settings to limit who can see what they post. It’s not a guarantee that their posts won’t reach others, but it minimizes that chance and helps to slow down the transmission.
Posts Can Have Consequences
Make sure your child knows that what seem like silly, innocent posts can hurt them in the future. College admissions officers and potential employers do look at applicants Facebook accounts and will use their posts against them.
Also, teach them to really look at photos before posting. They need to check the background for things they didn’t mean to capture that might embarrass them or someone else. Think underwear tossed on a chair or people passing by who do not want their image posted.
