Updated 9/16/2009 11:04:56 PM
Parents Guide to Facebook
From our conversation with Stacey Dewitt, head of Connect with Kids, here are some important points for parents.
1. If you haven't already, join Facebook. Dewitt says it helps parents understand what it's like for their child to be inside a social network.
2. Parents must have their child's password on Facebook. Make this part of the deal. Dewitt says these social networks are not private and shouldn't be treated as such.
3. Give your child a Code of Conduct. Dewitt said, "You have to say to them if you're going to use the technology, here's what the standards are, here's what the ethics are in our family. I always say if you wouldn't show it or say it to me, your mother, don't do it online."
4. Do NOT cut off your child's access to the computer. Dewitt said, "You can't really control their access because it's everywhere. You can shut it off in your home but then they can go to a friend's house. They can get it on somebody else's computer."
5. Do not allow your child to be online for hours a day. Dewitt said, "It's just not productive for kids to be sitting around on cellphones and computers and on Facebook and inside social networks all the time."
6. Educate yourself on the technology. Learn how to use Facebook. Parents who don't understand the technology could be putting their kids in jeopardy. Dewitt said, "That's what you do when you put a child on the computer and say I don't really get it, I'm not going to worry about it, you figure it out. It's like dropping them off in downtown Atlanta and saying 'See you in 24 hours, hope it works out'."
Extra Links:
There are a number of links that can help parents learn more when it comes to Facebook:
Discussion Groups at Atlanta Moms Like Me:
