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Every new social media advance presents new challenges for parents. Facebook enables a teen to establish an online persona, and interact with hundreds of friends at the click of a mouse. While it's a great way for kids (and adults) to communicate, the nature of the internet poses special concerns. Read on to learn how to monitor a teen's Facebook page and keep them safe.
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Introduction
- Facebook is a social media site which enables subscribers to post pictures, profiles and message which can be shared with a group of subscribers that the account holder has set up as friends. It can be accessed online, and profile updates can be synched with other social media sites, such as Twitter.
Step 1: Talk to Your Teen About Facebook
- Internet safety is really a parenting issue, not an issue related to any one social media application.
- By the time a teen can access the internet on their own, they should be aware that:
- Anything they post on the internet can last forever, even if they take it down
- They should never post bricks and mortar contact information, such as a street address, online
- Any personal information should be shared carefully
- Don't accept friend requests from strangers
- Request their login information, including their password, as part of your agreeing to their creating a Facebook account. Whether you will use it to monitor their account on a daily basis, or only in extreme situations is a personal decision, but your child should know that you have the ability to monitor their account if you so desire.
Step 2: Keep the Computer in a Public Space
- Keep the computer in the kitchen or family room, where other family members are around. Your teen is less likelt to get in trouble if she's using Facebook with you sitting ten feet away reading a book or watching tv.
Step 3: Join Facebook Yourself
- You don't need to friend your child, as that may be embarrassing to younger teens, but it's a good idea to be comfortable with the application. You'll know your child has reached a milestone of personal maturity when they friend you.
Step 4: It Takes A Village - Talk to Other Parents
- Different families have different levels of comfort with the internet, and each use different monitoring strategies. Talk to other parents and let them know that you'd like to be notified if they learn something concerning about your child, and offer to do the same for them.
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