FACEBOOK and other social networking sites for young people?

are they stimulating young people to interact with each other?


Or are they diminishing the ability for face-to-face communication?


Are they a pick up site - for all sorts of unsavoury people?


Are they the safest way for young people to "flirt"?

FACEBOOK and other social networking sites for young people?
I can only tell you how they are used by my children:





Katy=as a 'brag' page, for all her photos and news of her relationship with her boyfriend, and daughter.





John=as a pick-up page for girls.





Bill=to check up on what his friends are doing.





Jimmy=to keep in touch with friends that are living far away.





And I have a facebook and myspace account. To check up on what my kids (aged 18-32) are doing.
Reply:I have grandchildren age 21 to 8, who go on facebook and they are having a great time. They interact with each other and the parents are down as their "friends". My youngest daughter (33) is favorite aunt, to all of them, is always chatting with them and sending them family photos etc. I can see where trouble could occur, but since they are good kids, whose parents are open and honest, and drop into facebook to add things sometimes, everything is going well so far. I get e-mail notices from facebook that there was a message on MY facebook for me, and low and behold it was my oldest granddaughters' graduation pictures and loving message. Since we can get into any of thesir facebook pages, because they have put us down as friends and family etc. we have no problem with any of it.





Also, they are very sociable kids who play basketball, go to ballet, are in special classes because of their high marks, and have many friends, they definitely are NOT "diminishing the ability for face to face communication". I have never known such great social skills in all of them.





The internet medium is wonderful in all kinds of different ways, but of course is used by the "sick" people of the world as well. Keeping our children away from the net, I feel is not a good thing, it alienates them from their friends and what those friends are doing. We can assist them in keeping safe by being honest and open with them and making sure they they are being the same with them. My grandchildren are always "prodding" me and I get this e-mail saying ".......has given you a prod" in otherwords they are thinking of me. Wonderful! I am 76 and I am loving it.
Reply:well yes to the interaction, yes to the diminishing the face to face communication. Yes they are or could be a pick up site, and yes there are some unsavory people there, and no they aren't the safest way for young people to flirt. In fact, why are young people flirting in the first place??? They should be studying and educating themselves for their future.
Reply:Facebook isn't just for young people. I'm in my 30's %26amp; my oldest friend is in her 60's. For me Facebook is a way to keep in touch with old friends %26amp; a few of my family. Having been to boarding school I have friends all over the world %26amp; on Facebook we can all see what each other is up to %26amp; keep in touch. Two weeks ago I went to a school reunion that was organised via Facebook, I wouldn't have known about it otherwise. I've also got back in touch with a friend from my teens who I haven't seen for 20 years %26amp; she's coming to visit me next weekend.





I don't flirt with strangers or have hundreds of "friends" like some people do. I have a grand total of 37 people on my friends list. Half are old school mates %26amp; the other half are family or current friends. So for me Facebook has been a good thing. I've loved getting back in touch with people %26amp; it's been an incentive to get out %26amp; see people who were once a big part of my life.
Reply:i think they are diminishing face to face contact, teenagers don't seem to know how to hold a conversation or how to behave in public. I don't think these sites are the cause but they certainly don't help.


My friends recently have been using face book to have a go at each other which is not fair and out of order.


Good for people to keep in touch as easier then posting letters but definitely changing the way we interact.
Reply:I go on facebook quite a bit, but I find that there are a lot of weirdo's on there. Because I am a girl, strange men from all over the world send messages and it is annoying. I could understand it if my profile photo was provocative, but it isnt, its a regular photo taken by a friend.





There are a lot of dodgy people on the internet in general, so I wouldnt just attribute this to facebook. As long as a child is on their guard and reports any incidents to their parents, then I dont see the problem with them. A responsible parent would monitor the childrens activity anyway - I know I will when the time comes.
Reply:Yes I am concerned about deteriorating social skills. People will say things they would not otherwise say hardening hearts and I am concerned that perhaps human compassion is at risk


I am sure there are good points but a person should not build their social network around it, it could be a small part in well rounded interaction. My humble opinion.
Reply:I think that they are good they allow people to talk who they might not have met before it can increase their confidence open their minds to the world.


There are things such as cyber bullying, people asking to see you naked and perv's who try to meet up with you in those cases children should always be watched while on the computer and an eye kept on teenagers who might be vulnerable.


I don't know how i would have met my partner if it wasn't for myspace...
Reply:Bebo is currently being analysed for it's 'involvment' in the Bridgend suicides. Load of tosh if you ask me. People are not gonna kill themselves cos a bunch of bebo-ers ask them to. I think these sites are a good way to make friends, but I prefer good old MSN myself !
Reply:my 14 yr old grandson has been doing things on line that has caused some big problems . without going into details, i will say this.. i have had and known some who have had bad experiences....my husband and i have put our computer off limits to our grand children...you might think this is way out there, but we have decided it is best for our house
Reply:As I understand it it is a site for identity fraud - all that info just for the taking and it has been done too! I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole!
Reply:It's not good