How Can a Parent Create a Facebook Page?
According to facebook.com, as of April 2010 the social networking website had more than 400 million active users. A full 50 percent of these users log-in to Facebook on any given day. Because Facebook is a popular communication method for teenagers and even children (despite Facebook's minimum age requirement of 13), more and more parents have started to use Facebook in order to keep up with the things their children are talking about, seeing and doing.
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Joining
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Signing up for Facebook simply involves visiting the website and registering for an account. There is no charge to sign up and all that you need to do is provide an e-mail address and create a password. Because many children and probably many of your children's friends are on Facebook, one of the best ways to get involved in their lives is to understand what Facebook is all about. After signing up, Facebook will walk you through the process of adding photos, updating your status or adding applications.
Friending
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"Friend" your kids after you sign up to use Facebook. This is done by finding their online profile and sending a request to them to be your friend. Once someone is your friend, you can view the photos, videos, comments and applications that appear on their Facebook page. Although your children might complain about you friending them, it is the best way to monitor how they use Facebook.
Reviewing Profile Pages
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When your children accept your friend request, you can look on their profile pages--the pages that include their images, status updates and a lot of the communication between them and their friends. The "Wall" is the first thing you will see when visiting your child's profile. To view other parts of the profile, click on the tabs at the top of the page that say things like "Info" or "Photos."
Checking on Friends
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After you become a friend with your child on Facebook, you can see who else your child is friends with by clicking on the "View All Friends" link on his or her Facebook page. A list will appear that displays the names and the profile pictures of your children's friends. Depending on the privacy settings these friends have, you may be able to click on the images and see their profile pages. These pages could reveal information such as where the friends live, their ages and their interests.
Being Discrete
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Because your children's friends can view anything you post on their Facebook pages, save potentially embarrassing or private conversations for face-to-face communication. Avoid leaving too many comments on your children's pages, otherwise they may stop using Facebook and find another way--one that you cannot monitor--to communicate with friends.
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