Issue Date: July 27, 2008
Facebook 101
Quickly connect to your child's world.
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Unless you've been living on another planet, you have heard of Facebook. What you may not know is that it can be a great way for you to connect with your children. Here's how:
THE BASICS: Go to facebook.com. Fill in your name, e-mail, password and birthday, and you're in business. Now, create your "profile" page. Choose a photo to post there. (On the menu bar at the top, click "edit," then the "picture" tab; it will direct you to upload a photo from your computer.) Next, enter other personal info (job, political views, favorite books or movies), providing as much -- or as little -- detail as you'd like.
HOW YOU CAN USE IT: Now you're ready to send messages to fellow Facebook users, requesting them to be your "friend" -- and waiting for them to "friend" you, thus allowing you to join their network of friends. Your child may not rush to friend you, but you still can communicate via the Facebook version of e-mail or ask if she'd be willing to use "privacy settings" to limit your access to parts of her page. For example, perhaps you can see her online photo albums but not the notes friends post on her "wall" (an online bulletin board). Even if your kids won't grant you an all-access pass, you may be pleasantly surprised to find their pals "friending" you, offering new connections to your children's world.
BONUS FUN: Entice your new "friends" with a popular game of Scrabulous, an online Scrabble with multiple players and message posts.
Ann Pleshette Murphy is the parenting expert for ABC's "Good Morning America."
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