Facebook is the world’s most popular social network. Everything in the world has a positive and a negative side, and that can definitely be said as true for the phenomenon that is Facebook.
Honestly, people of all ages can chat with their friends and family from all around the world with the use of Facebook. Adults use Facebook to connect with high school friends, co-workers, and other people in their network. Teens use Facebook to keep in touch with their friends and post important documentation of their life via pictures and statuses.
Kids generally believe that Facebook is a protected environment, where almost all potential advantages of the Internet exist. On facebook, kids enjoy their own private territory, over which they have total control, without interference from adults, particularly their parents. Moreover, kids feel that they can control exactly how and what the world learns about kids.
If you are a parent in today’s world, then you face enormous difficulties in determining what role technology should play in your children’s lives.
Facebook was launched in 2004 and facebook has recently announced that it has 1 billion active users worldwide. However facebook was unpopular in the starting days but in recent time facebook’s popularity is still very much on the rise. Love it, hate it, there is absolutely no getting away from it.
If you are trying to make a decision on what’s right for your child, here’s a reminder of some of the merits and demerits of an early Facebook account:
Merits
1. Enhances social skills
Facebook allows kids to have a contact with current friends and provide the liberty of making new friends. When used in the right way, social media can increase a child’s self-esteem and help them feel less isolated. Facebook also allows those who are shy to socialize more easily.
2. It’s educational
A majority of teens use social networking to discuss school work and share discussions about school assignments. Shared discussions about school assignments are one of the best reasons to allow access to social networks.
3. A place to share thoughts
A Facebook page gives a child their own “home page” on the web, where they can express themselves and talk about their interests. They can join groups and support fan page, and find out what other people are interested in.
4. Decision is in kid’s hand
Your kid can choose who they would like to share their status updates, photos or check-ins with.
5. Digital competence
Managing a Facebook page teaches a child how to post comments and photos, and how to navigate the web. Having good online social media skills will be increasingly important as they grow older with time.
Demerits
1. Privacy
Privacy is a major concern for most Facebook users, and it’s really important to understand the site’s privacy settings and set them accordingly. And even though a lot has been done to improve the site's security, it can still be confusing.
2. Kids can be mean
However much you school your child on the right way to behave online, you cannot stop other children from posting mean comments. Cyber bullying can be a real problem. There are even some cases of kids who committed suicide after being bullied on social networks.
3. Things aren't always what they seem
There are many fake Facebook accounts, information that is misrepresented and your child could be exposed to these.
4. It can hurt kid’s future
Kids can post vulgar information or photos that will be discovered by college admissions or potential employers in the future. Once information goes online, it never goes away.
So does the good outweigh the bad? It’s hard to tell. Either way you probably won’t be able to completely block your kids from using it. So it is important to remember that if your kids are on Facebook, they should be aware of the dangers, and they should ensure some steps to protect themselves, such as adjusting the privacy settings.
Facebook is a place where you can broaden your horizons and learn different things. However facebook can also be a place where all sorts of bullying and vapid self-image obsessions take place. When you become a Facebook user, you have control over your facebook account. Only add the people you wish to be friends with and take care with your privacy settings.
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