Facebook: teenagers love it.  While it’s a great place for teens to socialize with friends, stay connected with each other, and explore their identity, it’s crucial that parents and teens alike educate themselves about the benefits and potential risks of Facebook.

To help parents do just that, ConnectSafely.org and the iKeepSafe Coalition recently published A Parents’ Guide to Facebook.  This comprehensive 35-page booklet and online resource is available for reading and printing by clicking here.  It provides parents with the perspective and how-to information they need to help their teens put Facebook’s privacy and safety settings to good use.

To read the guide, click HERE 

The guide features hands-on, step-by-step instructions and illustrations, as well as parenting points on safety, privacy, and reputation protection.  It covers both cellphone- and computer-based use of Facebook and the site’s newest features, including Places, Groups, and the latest privacy updates.  This is especially important as parents need to remember that teens not only access Facebook on the home computer, but on their mobile devices too! 

ConnectSafely co-director Larry Magid notes that many of the guide’s recommendations may be stricter than Facebook’s default settings.  But he also believes Facebook provides great tools to further customize privacy and security settings. It’s just up to parents and teens to learn how to use them!  So check out this comprehensive guide to get started!