What are some ways in which you, as parents, set social media limits for your teen/preteen?

[sunny]

With all the social media networking eg...facebook, texting, etc. how do you limit your child's use of them?

[cassakane]

I limit them absolutely. No cellphones, no facebook.

My mother visited recently and brought her new laptop so I could teach her to use it and set her up on facebook. She asked my kids about their facebook and was a little surprised that they didn't have one. This made me contemplate whether I should allow them to be on facebook - I tend to rethink and reevaluate my decisions about my kids a lot to make sure they are the most effective. Anyway, when I was setting up my mom's facebook, I friended my niece for her. My niece is the same age as my daughter - 13. Just looking at my niece's page made me think that facebook is nothing but a waste of time and almost certainly damaging to a child's social skills and abilities.

I have read some really scary reports and research about the effects that texting and facebook, among other things, has on teenage girls. I believe that my kids are better off without it. (My son is 11.)

[manic]

i don;t have to worry about this yet since my son is 2, but I will. My husband and I have already discussed it. We already have a desktop computer in the living room and it's got parental controls set up. My son can get online whenever he needs to to do homework and research for school. After his homework and chores are done he will have a few hours a day for social media and/or video games. I will have access to his sites so I know what he is doing and he will be online where I can see him in the living room. I don't care if he thinks it's an invasion of his privacy. I'm his mom, not his friend. He can surf as many porno sites and hook up with people when he is 18. When he's a minor and under my roof it's my job to protect him. I survived my entire childhood without the internet, he can deal with restricted access.

[Kari D]

I have a 13 year old son (and a younger one to, but I will reference my teen).

So, I had to learn the hard way, I guess. I was completely trusting of my son and living in ignorant bliss for quite sometime. I let him have a computer in his room and basically self-monitor. Obviously, that was not a very a good idea.

He started getting into some trouble at school and there was mention of facebook postings. It is a long story, but now I have a different method after lessons learnt.

Computer is in the kitchen with the screen facing where it can be seen by anyone. I have log-ins and passwords and do random checks, with his knowledge. He is allowed to text through his gmail account (because I can trace all messages through software regardless if he deletes them), but not to have a cell phone. It sounds like a lot of work, but just him KNOWING that I can track everything causes him to be more discrete.

Lastly, everyone is off the computer at 9, no exceptions.

[Jess ♥]

I'm 14, but I'll answer anyway.

I have my own mobile. My dad has it set up through his account because he pays for it. I think he could log on and check my texts if he wanted to, he never has though. Also, if he wanted to, he could see all the numbers I call and all of my internet searches.

We do have a family laptop, but I also have a computer in my room, there are no parental settings on it or anything either. I have a Facebook, but my parents are my friends on it..

I do get a lot of privacy and not much restrictions online or anything, but I think I've earnt my parents trust and I am 14 so I think it's completely okay for me to do all of those things.