Des Moines Register Feature Sunday Article About Facebook, Parents, and Their Kids

Sunday's Des Moines Register's feature story was about Facebook usage among teens and pre-teens and their parents. I have received this question from time to time as a middle school counselor: "Should I allow my child to have a facebook account?" There is no great answer to that question and truly it is a question that parents has to answer for themselves. But I think this Register article (link below) has a great conversation and gives some good advice. My advice is pretty similar. I think Facebook can be a great tool and has many positive uses, but as a parent myself, my children's first Facebook friend will be me and I will have their password so that I can log into their account at any time. But isn't this invading my child's privacy? No. Reading their diary and unlocking something in their room to see what inside would be invading their privacy. Facebook is a social network where the whole point is that what is said is not private. In Life Skills we teach to never write/say anything online that you don't want the whole world, your teachers, and your parents to know. So....if you don't want Dad and Mom to know, don't post it!! But enough from me, read what a professional journalist and several local people who were interviewed have to say....

Des Moines Register article "Teens, Parents Face off Over Facebook" click here!