When I received a friend request from my mother on Facebook, my first reaction was to go through all the information on my profile: the messages on my wall, my status updates, photos, groups, EVERYTHING! I finally realized that there was nothing there that would shock her; there was nothing on my profile that she didn’t already know about my interests and social life. I accepted her request.

When this kind of situation arises, some people automatically refuse the request; others accept, but give their parents limited access. The decision is up to you. You know your parents… and their real intentions

Facebook can be a good thing if it’s used the right way. Increasingly popular, social networking sites allow us to create a second identity, a digital identity that goes beyond who we are physically and how we think of ourselves. It’s a platform that many of us use to reveal ourselves, in the simplest forms, through status updates, the likes and interests listed in our personal information, and photos illustrating our lifestyle. The most important thing to keep in mind is that all this information is public and permanent.

Whether it’s a stranger, your parents, your colleagues or your employer who looks at your profile, you should be comfortable with the information that they can view. If you think that a certain photo or information should not be seen by these people, you should not post it online. Screen what you upload. Using Facebook appropriately will avoid any uneasiness.

If having your parents on Facebook makes you uncomfortable because they are constantly writing messages on your wall and commenting on everything you do, then it’s at your discretion to reject their friend request or give them limited access. I encourage you to visit a site that I found very funny called Oh Crap. My Parents Joined Facebook. It was created by two twenty-something girls who discuss and give examples of the parent child relationship on Facebook. A really interesting concept!

Lastly, just try to use the Internet to your advantage. Adjust your privacy settings and, above all, think before you click.

How many friends do you have on Facebook? Would you say that, on average, you know these friends:
1) very well?
2) well?
3) somewhat?
4) not at all?

In the real world, we are generally quite selective about the company we keep and what personal information we share with them. However, when using social networking sites, too many of us forget to think before we click. Accepting a new friend represents more than just a click of the mouse—it means adding that person to your friends list and, if you haven’t set up different privacy settings for different lists of friends, giving that person access to all of your personal information.

Most of us have Facebook “friends” we would more likely consider acquaintances, if not total strangers. But think about the information you’ve chosen to post on your page – have you revealed your full name?; what about your address or your date of birth? If you are revealing information that could be used against you if it falls into the wrong hands you really need to think about who you are allowing to see that information. For example, when you write something as simple as “off to the cottage for the weekend!” as a status update, that may signal to a potential burglar that there’s nobody home all weekend and that your home is an easy target.

We’re not saying that you should avoid social networking sites such as Facebook – just be aware of the risks and take a few precautions to fully benefit from the positive aspects of these sites. This means limiting the kinds of information you put online and taking a close look at the privacy settings. These settings control what information about you is visible. Let only your real-life friends see your page, what you post, and your photos and applications.

Go over your friends list frequently and weed out those friends who are no longer in your circle, or restrict their access to your information. The good news is that this is reversible: you can always delete friends. However, try to avoid going through that trouble in the first place by being careful when accepting a new friend request. Only give your real friends access to your personal information – someone you don’t know doesn’t need that information anyway!