The Facebook page Help Your Teens Play it Safe offers a few tips parents can use to keep their kids safe on Facebook.

Facebook lets you control the audience of your posts. Therefore, encourage your kids to review their privacy settings and to make sure they consider the audience when sharing content on Facebook.

Facebook encourages parents to set clear boundaries with their teens and use the same rules for online social activity as they would in real life. Think of social media as a get-together at one of your child’s friends’ houses. You should give permission for your teen to attend, and even though you aren’t there to monitor his or her behavior, consider your level of trust for your teen to have good judgment and act responsibly.

You need to find a healthy balance between your safety concerns and your teen’s growing independence and need for privacy.

The page Help Your Teens Play it Safe talks about the features on Facebook to help teens and children stay safe. I encourage parents to review the page and have discussions with their children about how to use Facebook responsibly.

Adapted from “Social media sites offer safety tips for parents.”