How to Monitor Your Teenager's Facebook

Teens' online social interactions are just as important to monitor as the daily activities.

You can monitor your teenager's Facebook profile to stop him from publicly exposing too much information, detect bullying and problems at school and to stop strangers from contacting and communicating inappropriately with him. Communicating with your teenager about the dangers of a Facebook profile along with establishing rules before the account is set up, can helps you monitor your child's Facebook profile.The monitoring of a Facebook profile is at its core a parenting issue that should, ideally, be carried out with the cooperation of the teenager.

Things You'll Need

• Facebook account
• Social media security software

Instructions

1. Speak with your teenager about the ground rules for your Facebook friendship and his Facebook account. Come to an agreement about the boundaries and acceptable behavior regarding the account. For example, you may ask your teen to set the privacy setting of the account so that you are able to have access to everything on the profile but do not abuse the access by stalking your teen.

2. Sign up for a Facebook account.

3. Search for your teenager's Facebook profile and click "Add as Friend." You will have access to see your teenager's friends, wall posts and posted photos once he accepts you as a friend.

4. Purchase software from a company that provides monitoring services to avoid signing up to Facebook or to monitor the profile in secret. Monitoring company services range from informing you about certain keywords written on your teenager's Facebook profile to sending you screen shots of your teenager's computer.

References

• Facebook: Help Your Teens Play It Safe
• Safety Web: Facebook Monitoring by Parents
• Social Guard: Facebook Safety Tips for Parents
• Social Shield