My oldest daughter is 11-years-0ld and I've been thinking a lot about how I will guide her use of social networking sites when she is ready for one. What will our house rules be in regards to information that can be added. I have already discussed with my children social networking sites and what they are used for and how they can be used by others (employers, college admissions, schools, etc.).
My husband has always asked that he have our kids' passwords and access to any computer files or sites they have. This is one way we can check up on them.
I have always told my children that you wouldn't want anything on a website that might hurt their "professional" or "student" reputation. Don't put anything on that you wouldn't want your grandmother to see or read! So here is my idea. I will be sure that my children's Facebook information can be read by their friends and what better way to help them then to be their friend. I will also ask that their aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and teachers be their friends. This will help keep them connected to family.
It takes a village to raise a child, so let's create a "Facebook Village" which will help to watch out over our children and will help our children be considerate of the information they are putting out to the world. They just need guidance from responsible adults, we need to model what we are expecting of them. We can also teach our children to use this social networking to their advantage in marketing themselves positively to colleges and employers.
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Very interesting idea. I often see what some students post and think "gosh, if their parents only knew." I know I filter my own posts due to the variety of "friends" that I have, so I am sure that your children may think twice before posting. Great idea!
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