It's the most popular social networking site in the world. Millions of teenagers are on Facebook and now so are mom and dad. It can be a tricky and sometimes a difficult situation to navigate. Here are a few ways you can avoid having your teen say, "help my parents are on facebook."
Steve Bond has something in common with his teenage son Cody and daughter Charlotte. He has a facebook page. "Their thought process was you're too old for a Facebook page. That's not something people your age should be doing, it's for kids," said Bond.
Bond says he initially signed up for Facebook to promote his business and reconnect with old high school friends. Then he took things a step further and tried to 'friend' his kids. "I sent a friend request to both. My son said yes. My daughter said no, but she ultimately came around," Bond said. "I just thought he was gonna talk to all my friends, and kinda just, I don't know, get into trying to be a teenager again," said Charlotte Bond.
The bonds are part of a growing trend. Parents are joining this phenomenally popular networking site at a rapid rate. With more than 200 million active users, Facebook's fastest growing demographic is those 35 and older. There's certainly been a backlash against the new trend. Just type in the words "no parents" and "Facebook" and you'll get more than 500 groups all telling moms and dads to stay out and log off. "My preference is that parents don't friend their children but instead just have a password," said Child Psychologist Jennifer Horn.
Horn believes parents not only have the right to be on Facebook, they have the right to monitor what kind of things their kids are posting as well. "Parents have to be involved in that process to make sure their teens are appropriate about what they're putting out there as well as what they're getting from other people," said Horn.
Horn says she draws the line at parents leaving comments on their child's page or their friends' pages that might make them cringe with embarrassment."It's no longer about really trying to help your child make appropriate decisions, but you're probably crossing that line of really wanting to be too involved," she said.
With so many teens seeing this as an invasion of privacy, Facebook etiquette tips for parents are popping up all over the internet. Experts say if you don't want your kids to un-friend you, exercise discretion when you're writing on their wall. They advise parents not to type anything there you wouldn't say in front of their friends. The same goes for pictures, don't post any pictures of your teen that might embarrass them. Also, don't over-react if your child joins a Facebook group or writes something you disapprove of by leaving a comment on their page. Ask them about it *in person.
Experts say don't leave reminders about chores or homework on their Facebook page. You do want to pay attention to what's on your teenager's profile so you can learn more about their interests and choice of friends.
Steve Bond has something in common with his teenage son Cody and daughter Charlotte. He has a facebook page. "Their thought process was you're too old for a Facebook page. That's not something people your age should be doing, it's for kids," said Bond.
Bond says he initially signed up for Facebook to promote his business and reconnect with old high school friends. Then he took things a step further and tried to 'friend' his kids. "I sent a friend request to both. My son said yes. My daughter said no, but she ultimately came around," Bond said. "I just thought he was gonna talk to all my friends, and kinda just, I don't know, get into trying to be a teenager again," said Charlotte Bond.
The bonds are part of a growing trend. Parents are joining this phenomenally popular networking site at a rapid rate. With more than 200 million active users, Facebook's fastest growing demographic is those 35 and older. There's certainly been a backlash against the new trend. Just type in the words "no parents" and "Facebook" and you'll get more than 500 groups all telling moms and dads to stay out and log off. "My preference is that parents don't friend their children but instead just have a password," said Child Psychologist Jennifer Horn.
Horn believes parents not only have the right to be on Facebook, they have the right to monitor what kind of things their kids are posting as well. "Parents have to be involved in that process to make sure their teens are appropriate about what they're putting out there as well as what they're getting from other people," said Horn.
Horn says she draws the line at parents leaving comments on their child's page or their friends' pages that might make them cringe with embarrassment."It's no longer about really trying to help your child make appropriate decisions, but you're probably crossing that line of really wanting to be too involved," she said.
With so many teens seeing this as an invasion of privacy, Facebook etiquette tips for parents are popping up all over the internet. Experts say if you don't want your kids to un-friend you, exercise discretion when you're writing on their wall. They advise parents not to type anything there you wouldn't say in front of their friends. The same goes for pictures, don't post any pictures of your teen that might embarrass them. Also, don't over-react if your child joins a Facebook group or writes something you disapprove of by leaving a comment on their page. Ask them about it *in person.
Experts say don't leave reminders about chores or homework on their Facebook page. You do want to pay attention to what's on your teenager's profile so you can learn more about their interests and choice of friends.
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