Social Networking Sites

Do you Twitter? Post on Facebook? Blog? Even if you don’t use these social networking tools, you should be familiar with how they’re set up and how they work in order to stay current with technology. After all, your kids will have more exposure to technology than you–and know more than you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t know how to use it too.

It’s important to educate yourself and keep up-to-date on the latest social networking trends. Peoples opinions about the sites are frequently colored by what they have heard – and a few bad stories spread a lot faster than any of the good stories. (Like the mother that found a transplant for her child using facebook)

Before making rules, you should experience the different sites; see what it’s like to set up an account, the different privacy offerings there are, and how easy/difficult it is for others to view your profile. Not only can you set the rules after, but you will have a better idea how to enforce them and can keep an eye on what your kids are doing. (One rule might be that they must accept your friend request).

Do you participate in social networking sites?