A recent survey conducted by OnePoll makes interesting reading when it comes to how parents use social media sites. According to the results over half of all the parents surveyed said they use Facebook and other similar sites to see what their children get up to. They do this without telling their children – and apparently the figure would be higher but for the number of parents who do not know how the social media sites work.
The age limit for youngsters using Facebook is 13, but some are using it at a younger age. It would seem that parents are going onto such sites to keep tabs on their children. They do so to ensure they are not getting into trouble or doing things they would disapprove of. While the survey results may seem shocking, perhaps it is the fact that fewer parents feel able to talk face to face with their children that is most shocking.
According to other reports many teenagers feel offended that their parents are thinking of joining the site. They enjoy having a space where they can communicate with friends and not feel as if their parents are watching them. In a sense it feels no different from how most of us remember our own teenage years. These are the years when parents and teenagers are least able to talk to each other. But nowadays the parents use Facebook to keep tabs on them rather than any other method.
