Don’t you love that feeling as a parent when you know you are doing something right? It doesn’t always happen where we can get that assurance. In fact, guilt and doubt often plague mothers in particular.
Well that’s how I felt after hearing something on the radio about being your teen’s Facebook friend. Experts claim that the communication between you and your teen is better if you don’t interact with them much (if at all) on Facebook.
Why? Because the more you click “Like” or respond with comments, the more it is seen as stalking. That will cause your teen to clam up.
When I heard this, it suddenly struck me that I had been doing this all along but didn’t realize it was something the “experts” agreed upon. Okay, maybe I’m trying too hard here in giving myself some credit.
But like I said, with all the times we tend to question ourselves as parents, it can feel pretty good to hear that you might actually be doing something right.
This really makes sense, though, if you think about it. When your teen sees that you are responding
to everything they put out there, it would naturally cause them to think you are spending a lot of time on their page.
My teens have no idea that I check their Facebook pages on a daily basis. Why? Because I rarely interact with them and I rarely say anything about the things I see. Yet I have pretty good communication with at least my older two (still working on the youngest one).
So I guess that would be my advice to parents as well. Go ahead and be friends with your teen on Facebook but refrain from interacting very much on their page. I would also take it a step further and give you this advice. I would not comment on any of their friend’s pages either. That would probably be mortifying to them.
Any other tips you can suggest when it comes to Facebook and your teen?
Related Articles:
Facebook: Invasion of Privacy?
The Good and the Bad of Social Networking
Using Facebook to Break Down the Barrier
My Love-Hate Relationship with Facebook
Should You Allow Your Tween/Teen to Join Facebook?
Photo by jasonhe in Flickr