Should parents allow their children to use facebook

In a strict sense, I would say NO. Sorry to say that facebook is worser than television in terms of restrictions. What are restricted in the television are shown in facebook pages especially in the category of groups. It is a hub of all kinds of people including perverts, indecent and immodest persons, bullies, rapists, pedophiles, criminals, etc. and good people as well. What then the children will learn as they grow if they use facebook most of the time? Many irresponsible users were posting disgusting pics such as feces (yuck), crushed and bloody body of person in accident, and other horrible pics. Some sex maniacs were posting sex videos or images which highlight lust rather than true love and deeper friendship. Because of this, many incidents of teenage pregnancy are increasing. It undermines the foundation of marriage too which is love and not just lust. What are the bullies doing? Possibly your son could be their victim during interaction. And why do maniacs are hovering over pages of young girls or boys? In fact some were reported as raped and even killed by their so called "fb friends".

However, computer shops are proliferating and beyond parents' responsibility, parents might as well agree if it is beyond control but with some conditions for proper monitoring. Prohibiting could be dangerous in the future because of secretive activity. So might as well make it open for discussion and correction.

What the parents or guardians should do?

• Parents must know the user ID and password of their son or daughter. It is the best way to monitor the activity of their children in facebook. If their children decline to reveal their user ID and password, why not tell them a story about what happens to children who do secret activity that became victims of rape and killing, or any reason or incentive just to get the user ID and password. Keylogger could be useful at times.


• Allow your children to use internet in a reliable computer shop. Wide open internet shop that has good attendant is preferable. It is better if the attendant is your friend. Other internet shops are semi-exclusive and no attendant to watch and prohibit pornography.


• Limit children's time in facebook in a day or in a week. Discipline them with limited coins or money in the computer shop. As always remind them of being responsible.


• Do not buy them smartphones if possible. For providing them with it may cause sleep disruption as they may be addicted to posting and interacting with their friends even when they are on bed. If it is not avoidable see to it that smartphones are not with them during bedtime.


• Monitor the kind of friends or kind of groups that children are interacting with. This is the crucial part of monitoring, correcting and teaching. It is better to encourage the children to befriend those persons they know in person.



• Teach the children to trust no one except those who truly show concern and care without condition. So teach them to use private setting, that is to filter the important information to the public such as address, school, contact number, email number. These could be used by criminal elements such as human trafficking, kidnapping, etc. It is important to select 'Friends' before posting as shown in the sample image above. Secondly set photo and post tagging setting with permission so that it can be declined whenever necessary. This can be done by pressing the arrow symbol at farthest right and find 'Setting'. Then go to the farthest left and find 'Timeline and Tagging'. Then set all review to 'On' as shown in the image below.
  
  
  
  
• And lastly, teach the children about God's values and teaching in relation to their interaction in facebook. Teach them what brings destruction and death and also values that brings good life and eternal life. It is a way of counteracting or neutralizing the bad acts or behavior that may develop as they grow older.

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