How do I convince my mom to let me have a Facebook account?

[Matthew]

Yeah...your mom won't let you have Facebook or Twitter, but she's going to let you get YouTube? I think not!

Your mom has probably heard all the horror stories about kids and cyber-bullying or kids posting inappropriate photos and comments. You need to show her that you are responsible enough to not do that on Facebook.

I have linked an article from a blog that I find has some good advice for Internet privacy. There are some guidelines in it for parents and kids. Some may apply to you, some may not. Go over the article with your mom and see if the two of you can come to a compromise on which rules should apply to you.

In the beginning, I think it would be best for your mom to have control, or at least a say, in what you post. This way, if you want to post something that isn't appropriate, your mom can tell you that she considers it inappropriate and why. This will open the lines of communication.

If your mom still won't let you have Facebook or Twitter, don't go behind her back. She will then lose trust in you. Show her that you can be trusted and she may change her mind. You can always keep in touch with friends over the phone and in person.