You might be at that point as a parent where you are making the decision about whether or not your tween or teen should join Facebook. Perhaps your tween will be turning 13 sometime this year, which is technically the age they are supposed to be before signing up. Or you might have been wavering and can’t decide if your teen should jump in.
Being that I am an avid Facebook user with a tween and two teens, I can offer you some thoughts. First, let me say that no parent should ever assume their teen doesn’t already have a Facebook page. I cannot tell you the number of teens who have created one and their parents didn’t know. Some of the parents ended up finding out and some still don’t know.
In fact, I accidentally got one teen in trouble when I innocently mentioned something about his Facebook page to his mother, not knowing she had no clue he had one. And by the way, he had actually been told he wasn’t allowed to have one.
Let me share some of the downsides to teens joining Facebook. One is that, like anything else, it can become addicting. Sometimes that wears off, after you have been using it for a time. But some teens spend hours on Facebook.
Another downside is that sometimes teens share too much on their Facebook page. Just a small example is when one teen from my church shared with the world that their parents had been fighting.
Although you can be friends with your teen on Facebook, there are ways of getting around that. Your teen can choose who sees their status updates, potentially eliminating you. And you have no control over their private messages or instant messaging unless you have their password.
Now here are the good things about Facebook. I have found it to be a fun way to communicate with my teens. Unless your teen absolutely hates the idea of being friends with you, it can be a creative way to connect.
Facebook can also help you learn things about your teen and their friends. Many times their friends have an open account, where you don’t have to request to be their Facebook friend and you can still see everything on their page. I cannot tell you the things some parents have learned this way.
The reality is that social networking is here to stay. So whether you decide to allow your teen to join in or not, you may not be able to completely avoid it. Whether it’s through a Smartphone they create a Facebook account or using a friend’s computer, there is a pretty good chance they may already be involved.
What are your thoughts on allowing tweens or teens to join Facebook?
Related Articles:
My Love-Hate Relationship with Facebook
Technology: If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em
The Good and the Bad of Social Networking
Using Facebook to Break Down the Barrier
Photo by jasonhe on Flickr