Are You “Facebook Friends” With Your Child?

When Social Networking Sites (SNS) first gained popularity, parents regarded them with disdain, as they felt that their kids spent more time ‘tweeting’ or updating their Facebook status than talking to their parents. However, times have changed, and we see more parents actively using these very same sites to reconnect with their children.

According to a survey conducted by Liberty Mutual for The Responsibility Project, 69 percent of the 1000 adults surveyed were “friends” with their kids on SNS. This is quite a surprise not only because more parents are using SNS, but because kids are now willing to be “friends” with their moms and dads. Becoming “friends” with one’s parents used to be a taboo among kids. I know some teens who, in the past, would not be caught dead ‘poking’  their parents on Facebook, or leaving a gift on their ‘wall’. But then, obviously, things are different now.

72 percent of the parents who allow their kids to use social media sites revealed that they still monitor their kids’ activities online. They said that they will continue to do this until their kids reach the age of 18. An interesting point to note is that 62 percent of parents think that posting pictures online is irresponsible, though it becomes evident from even a superficial browsing of Facebook that  kids and adults alike post pictures on it. Many think that this is a very good way to share the on-goings in their lives, especially with family and friends who are far away.

So, parents may finally be coming around to their children’s fascination with SNS. Who knows? They might even get hooked! And if so, it might come as no surprise if in a few years, parents and children chat with each other on these sites while they sit holed up in their respective rooms at home.

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