From the article: Social Networking Teens: Create a Strategy to Keep Them Safe
How do you keep your teen who uses social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and other interactive teen sites safe for your teen? Do you check in with them, friend them or put a time limit on the internet in your home? What has worked for your family? Please share your best advice, experiences and opinions on teens who are social networking for other parents of teens. Share Your Thoughts
House Rules for Tech Savvy Teens
- I agree with others about "friending" being a requirement to be on FB. One caveat, don't be "active" in communicating directly with your kid since if you show up as a social embarrassment for him/her, you could get cut off. Handle corrections offline. Best suggestion I've heard to encourage being "accepted" as a friend is to say "This is a way that you demonstrate your responsible approach and build trust with us (your parents) about your online behavior.
- —Guest Marla
daycaremom
- We have a few rules when it come to FB. Our 14 yr old daughter first has to have permission to be on FB. It's gotten a bit tricky since she got an Ipod for her birthday. But we are working out the kinks! She is also aware that if we question who she has on FB or the content, we can monitor it from another computer. While she is on chat we can access her account from another computer and watch her chat converstions. I didn't know this worked till just recently.
- —ansdktlemom
Social Networking
- I check my 2 sons facebook accounts. I have found that kids including mine have used a lot of swearing, sexually explicit language, bullying behavior, even racist comments & think nothing I have explained more than once what they say lives forever and not just their friends see what they and their friends write; parents, teachers, others see what they've written on the "Wall". I've explained what is appropriate etc., My younger son is actually more mature than my older one who is now cut off FB totally after repeated infractions. If you do not check out your children's FB pages, you are endangering them. Remember, their reasoning frontal lobes do not mature until 25!! My older son no longer has texting either due to sexting, which we talked about extensively. Parents you need to see what they are saying as it can lead to doing things that cannot be easily fixed. Don't kid yourselves that your kid won't do inappropriate things, you'd be surprised at the "secret life of teens".
- —Guest Sally
Discuss and Friend
- I believe that becoming a friend on Facebook is one of the best strategies as long as the child accepts you as a friend. Discuss security with your child and compromise on time usage to fit in homework and house chores. Generally, forbidding something is not always working especially if internet is available everywhere now and you can create as many accounts as you want. Rather be open about your worries over secure social networking and perhaps talk to other parents so they discuss the same issues with their kids. Children tend to listen to their peers more than to their parents. therefore, if all parents in your child's group of friends talk about the same issue, the word will be spread among the group and will be more influential.
- —Cheburash
Debbie
- What concerns me about FB and my 13 yo is the chatting. Yes, I know her friends but can't stand in the kitchen for the time alloted her to be online~she wouldn't chat anyway. So wish there was a chat history so you could check it like you do their phone text!
- —Guest debbie lamb
Safe Compromise
- We are IT professionals, we have a 15yo daughter. She has been raised on a pc (almost like a bottle), she has also been raised armed with every graphic/disgusting detail about what could happen to her should she make the mistake (when it comes to pc usage) to not heed our warnings, and do the research (about why we have our rules and opinions) herself. This makes for a more understanding teen. Only MINIMAL information is posted, and the name on the backside of account is MOMS (mine), with the theme being our dogs. Safe compromise.
- —Guest Steph
Facebook Over MySpace
- I have had to get a MySpace and Facebook account to see what my students and children will be getting into, and I can honestly tell you that I prefer facebook. Yes, everything that they have said is true, but we live in a society that is high on technological advances and on Internet communication. I believe that as long as you are added as your teen's “friend” and you monitor the content she will be fine. I feel confident about letting my 15 get a Facebook account rather than MySpace because it does offer higher security. I think you just need to teach her what to add and not add.
- —Guest Anna
