Tips for Parents of Teens on Facebook
For many parents, Facebook is a book with seven seals. The question of what their kids are doing on social networks concerns some mothers and fathers - but they can hardly answer it. In order to become familiar with the medium, you will need an understanding of the basics. On the other hand, dialogue and exchanges with children are very important. UPDATED has put together some tips for parents to make it easier to use Facebook and your own kids.
Tips for Parents of Teens on Facebook
Familiarize yourself with Facebook
To understand something, it is often best to try it yourself. This also applies to Facebook. But how do you get access to social networks? Here are some of the questions you will encounter:
- How to register on Facebook?
First, fill in the registration form where you enter information such as a different name or email address. Then the email or phone number must be confirmed.
- How do I post and share content?
You can share content via your timeline or on your news feed. Enter the status update in the status field of your timeline or in the news feed. Details can be added, such as report date, feelings, actions, or photos. Then select an audience and click Share.
- Does Facebook have to pay at some point?
Facebook is a free website and says it won't charge you anything in the future.
- Does Facebook sell my information?
Facebook never sells your information to third parties and, according to its own information, never does. You have complete control over how your information is shared.
Answers to other and similar questions can be found on Facebook's parent portal.
In the following, this guide will mainly address the challenges of how to handle Facebook when interacting with your children. You can read what advice there is and what mistakes you should avoid in the following sections.
Talk to your child about online rules
In the face of Facebook, technology may play a role that leaves many parents feeling stuck. Basically, however, the same rules apply when dealing with other people as in any other life. Therefore, dialogue with your children is also important when it comes to Facebook. Topics related to basic behaviors can be:
- Things that you don't want to experience for yourself shouldn't be done to other people either. For example, damaging criticism or even insulting by a public post should be taboo.
- Your children should also treat others responsibly and respectfully on Facebook. Comments that are personally harmful or that neglect privacy, for example, also have no place on Facebook.
- Sharing your own content can have consequences. For example, when a potential employer sees an entry. This is why it's important to handle what type of content is being shared.
- Just like in traffic, it is important to comply with the security rules on Facebook which affect your own privacy and disclosure.
- Your child should be aware of these rules and know how to protect themselves by, for example, not posting publicly intimate content or opinions.
Be a good role model for your child
You should consider: When it comes to Facebook or online behavior in general, kids automatically adjust to the way their parents deal with it.
So, if you agree with your child that they only use Facebook and other social media at certain times of the day, while other times are considered taboo, you must abide by these rules yourself. The same is true for content-related activities on social networks. Your posts must also comply with the social interaction and attention rules mentioned above.
Should I send a friend request to my child on Facebook?
First of all, there may be certain restrictions for parents to connect with their own children on Facebook. This "add as friend" has an immediate equivalent for the rest of life, away from worrying about control or monitoring. On social networks, too, it's about nothing more than togetherness, a reciprocal exchange to have with your child.
This start and foundation of dialogue on Facebook mean that you connect with each other through the friend's function. Take advantage of this opportunity early on. The earlier you do this, the more naturally it will be for you and your child to walk this same path. But: If you don't listen to your child and don't want Facebook to be friendly with you at all, then you have to accept this attitude. This can be quite normal in individual cases. Then take another opportunity to exchange ideas about Facebook topics together.
Better yet, if you can talk to your child early through the Internet, social networks, and the like. There may be opportunities to do this before your child gets onto Facebook and Co.
Look for exchanges at important times
The technical possibilities are endless. In the past, the question of when and how children will start watching TV or using computers is now also the focus of game consoles or smartphones. Dealing with Facebook and other social networks is now one of these topics.
As a parent, you should regard your child's entry into social media as an important moment and talk about it early. When this moment is right there is something different. Facebook itself sets a minimum age of 13 in its terms and conditions for Germany, from which an account can be created. You have to decide for yourself whether this age is right for your child. But whether at 13 or over:
- Share the important rules outlined above.
- Make it clear how important it is to share content safely and responsibly on Facebook and Co.
- Agree to the guidelines for the time of use
- Explain why this guide is important to you.
Learn social media basics from your child
If your child is older and more experienced than you with social networking and you as a parent have nothing to do with Facebook, then use your child's online knowledge. Let us explain to you how you can become a Facebook member, what's going on there, or what the privacy settings are about. Be open to other services on the Internet, such as streaming music or getting certain information. This exchange pays off in many ways.
First, your child will become a helpful and successful mentor who will provide you with critical knowledge. On the other hand, it strengthens your child's confidence and confidence if, for a change, you are not the one to say and explain things. By the way, you are basically chatting and brainstorming with your child about the same topic, which is important for mutual understanding.
Find more points of contact
Pay attention to what may be of interest to you and your child in the world of Facebook and the Internet. Substitute topics, findings, or news from, that you talk about with your child, create together or make fun of it with fun and magic recorded. Joint groups can also be considered if both parties are interested in something specific. Whether it's a hobby or a project - working together on the same thing is very important.
