Yes, I am a "Facebookee"! I am on it all the time, (it is one of my only outlets to adult conversation during the day since I am a stay at home mom). It is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family who you are not that close with, without actually having to put much effort into it. Now the question is do I allow my kids to have a Facebook page, yes I do. Now my daughter is not of the suggested age to have one but I allow it because she likes the games on it. This way she is playing games that I approve of and she is not in the deep dark space of the internet trying to find something. She is only allowed to be friends with family or people I am friends with and approve of. Do I check her page?? You bet I do, and will continue too!

I enjoy Facebook as a fun way to keep up with friends locally and from high school and college days. I also like following businesses, publications and other organizations through Facebook. In regards to my child, he has shown no interest in Facebook and that's fine with me. In fact, I've made it a personal rule not to friend anyone's child because I don't want to be the one to see something that shouldn't be there and quite frankly I doubt that children are any more interested in my page than I would be in what they are posting. I just hope for anyone using Facebook that they really think about what they are sharing because future schools, employers etc. are watching Facebook and it is one of the first places checked when people are looking for jobs today. Have fun, but be careful no matter what age you are.

I am the opposite of Becky, I friend everyone of my teen's friends that will accept me. I want to know what is going on. When my daughter first got facebook, I had to "approve" every friend request, know her password etc. Now that she is older, she has more freedom about accepting friend requests. I personally don't post anything that I would not be ashamed to say in front of my 9 year old. No, he is not on facebook. We do have talks regularly about our actions (postings) today and the impact they have in the future.

My point of view today is that of the mother of an elementary school student. I am sure when my child is older my point of view may change.

I think there are positive and negative aspects to Facebook. It is a great tool for keeping up with distant friends and relatives; however, there is the risk that Facebook can become a time sink and at worst become a substitute for real social interactions. Of course the majority of folks enjoy Facebook without issue. Facebook does have a minimum age in order to have an account: 13 years old. As parents we felt that it was important to respect the rule and our kids were 13 years old before they were allowed a Facebook account. We prefer internet usage to be in public spaces in our home for our younger child so we can monitor his computer use. A little bit of time on the internet is fine. There is no reason for a child to spend hours on a computer. And there is lots of good research that points to the detrimental effects of excessive time in front of a video screen (computer monitor, TV, and video game).

My boys (15 & ALMOST 12) do have FB pages. Like anything else, when it was new it was all they could think about & they spent way too much time on it. But just like anything else, as the new wore off they realized there were other things to do. I do have their passwords & do spot checks. I also have a great group of friends that are doing the same checking with their kids so when one of us sees something that raises an eyebrow we will send the parent a note to take a peek. (It takes a Village, right?)

Their usage varies with the weather and other activities. If FB ever took the place of other interests, it would be a different story, but I try to let them find a balance.

I think it's important for kids to experiment and experience these kinds of interactions in a safe environment so when they are older and have more freedom, they are less likely to make stupid, and more costly, mistakes. My kids have both learned consequences of poor posting choices and (I hope) are better people for it. But all it cost them was a little healthy humiliation and some grounding instead of a college scholarship or a job offer.

I read a great parenting book once about "Love and Logic" that is really about letting your kids make mistakes while the lessons are affordable. FB, with boundaries, has been a good opportunity for them to spread their wings while there are still safety nets below.

Facebook can provide quality connections and information. But like other forms of media it can also become addictive or be used in an abusive way. I don't have a facebook page but it is easy to stay in touch with friends and family using other communication tools. Current research informs us that minimal screen time of any type is best for the developing brains of young children. Our job as adults is to provide good role models for use of social media. I was at the pool last week and observed a mother with three young children. She spent most of her time looking at and responding to whatever was on her i-phone screen. Occasionally she looked at the children who were jumping in and out of the pool and running all around. She yelled at them every now and then to correct what they were doing. This was clearly not being a good role model for her children, or anyone else for that matter.
But peer pressure happens at all ages. Not keeping up with the latest gossip or discussions can feel like being left out or fear of being left out in the future. Responsible use of facebook is the key--like it is with all else in life. Staring at a screen is never as valuable as interacting on a personal level with someone we care about--children need opportunities to do this, a screen maybe an easy out. Learning social skills on a screen is very limiting for children--learning social skills in a genuine social setting provides opportunities that will be valuable for a lifetime.