How to Monitor Teenagers on Facebook

Teenagers of all ages use Facebook to connect with friends.

Facebook is a convenient way for teenagers to connect with friends and classmates, but like any social networking site, it can be hard for parents to monitor their children's behavior. It is important for some parents to know who their teens interact with online and what they are saying in status updates, especially for younger teens. Even if you can't keep up with your teenager's music trends and fads, you can still keep up with him or her on Facebook.

Instructions

1. Create a Facebook account. Visit the Facebook homepage, enter your email address, type your full name and choose a password. Select a gender from the drop-down menu, and click "Sign up."

2. Add your teenager as a friend on Facebook. Use the search box at the top of the page to search for your son or daughter. Click "Add Friend" to add him or her to your social network. Your teenager must manually confirm the friendship before it becomes active.

3. Talk to your teenager about your intentions. State that you will be monitoring Facebook and explain why. Set ground rules covering acceptable behavior and improper conduct. Although you should make sure teens stays safe, you also need to let them have some level of freedom and responsibility.

4. Navigate to your teenager's Facebook profile to see their status updates and Facebook wall posts. Click "Photos" in the left column of the profile to see photos he or she is tagged in. Click "Friends" in the same location to see who your child is maintaining contacts with.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep in mind that depending on what privacy settings your teenager chooses after adding you as a friend, he or she can limit you from seeing certain content. This includes status updates and photos.

• Think twice before adding your teenager's friends as friends on Facebook. You are not there to monitor them, and they can always add you as a friend if they wish to initiate a social networking relationship.

References

• AllThingsD: Monitoring Teens' Facebook Activity

Resources

• MSNBC: Parents and Teenagers Meet on Facebook