Moms Talk Q & A: How Should Parents Limit Facebook Time For Themselves and Children

This week our Moms Council fielded the following question: Do you limit your Facebook time or that of your children's? And how?

Facebook and other social media sites in my opinion are not for children under age 13. Parents should work with their teens to help them understand not to share certain private information, such as their birthday and address, and encourage them to think before "friending" anybody.

It is important that we start warning them early of the potential dangers involved in sharing identifying information, making contact with strangers and posting images that might be risky.

Keeping the family computer out of childrens’ bedrooms and in the family room or kitchen may encourage them to take part in other activities and help you to notice when they are spending too much time there. If they have a laptop that moves around the house, put it away at bedtime so they are not up half the night chatting. Monitoring them and watching for signs of overuse, such as slipping grades and hiding out in their rooms for hours on end, can help avoid major problems.

 Every morning when I start up my computer I am greeted by the frequent chirping sounds from an application that displays the four Facebook pages I administer. Each one serves a unique purpose: personal, business, information dissemination, and advocacy. Since I am responsible for adding content to these pages, and check in regularly to get a pulse on what is going on, it would be nearly impossible to limit my time checking into Facebook. So for me it's more about keeping informed and sharing posts of note, or interest, than sharing my great workout and trip to get a coffee. Not that there's anything wrong with that and that's where the customization features come in handy.