As a parent there are some facts that you ought to know about Facebook. These are just some of the facts for parents that you ought to know about Facebook:
1.Facebook is a social network that helps you to connect with people around you. However, unlike MySpace, it is more secure because while you still create a profile, only people in your network, and people you accept as your friends can see your information. So, the fact is, Facebook is a more secure social utility than any other of the social networks as of right now. However, it is only as safe as your child makes it. So, make sure that your child is selective about their friends and who they accept as friends as well.
2.Your child can create a limited profile. Facebook offers something called a limited profile which allows you to block certain people from viewing things on your profile. This could mean you block people you are not close friends with. It could also mean you block your parent from seeing conversations, photos, etc. So, fact number two that you ought to be aware of is that your child can block you from seeing everything. So, not only should you have your own Facebook account to monitor the activity on your child’s, but you should also know your child’s password so you can access it and make sure you are not being blocked from viewing certain things.
3.Facebook hooks you up with people in the networks you associate in, not just with everyone. So, your child will be able to choose friends, and have people in their network that are from their social circle, school, work, etc. This means more control of who sees their information. Many of these networks require some sort of access, like a school email address, etc. This means your child is protected, however, anyone in their network can view their profile; so fact three is that your child should be selective about which networks they join. While it is fun to have a lot of friends, if you open yourself up to too many networks you could open yourself up to potential predators.
4.Facebook allows you to tag your friends. This means you can tag conversations, photos etc. When you tag a photo, it will show up on your friend’s profile as well. This means that fact four is that you need to not just watch what your child posts, but what their “friends” post as well.
5.Facebook posts news feeds on your home page. This is news from the networks you are a part of. For example, if you are part of a city network it will post news about the city. It shows you the top television shows, the top books, what your friends are doing, what groups are popular, etc. This means that fact five is that your child is going to see what everyone else is doing, liking, etc. which might mean that your child might be influenced to do things you may not agree with each time they go on their Facebook account.
Facebook is a good way to connect with friends, stay updated on social happenings in the social networks you are a part of, etc. However, even though Facebook claims great privacy and has privacy settings your child could turn on, most kids do not think that they are vulnerable, or that they can be affected by online predators, etc. So, just make sure your child, if they use Facebook, that they take precautions, and do not post too personal of information online.