Tech+Talk!

=**This month's topic is** Facebook.=

What is Facebook?
Facebook is a social networking site. In other words, people use Facebook to connect with other people.

Who uses Facebook?
Facebook was originally limited to college students. Today, Facebook is used by individuals as young as 13 or as old as 100!

How does Facebook work?
Facebook works like a digital phone book. When you sign up for a Facebook account, you become "listed", similar to how your number becomes listed in a phone book. Once you are listed on Facebook, you can search and connect to your friends and family who are also listed on Facebook. Your friends and family can also search and connect to you. After you have connected to your friends and family, you can use Facebook to share thoughts, pictures, videos, games, and much more with them.

Is Facebook safe for my child to use?
Many parents are concerned about the information that their children may share online and the strangers that their children can meet in an online environment. Facebook is no different. Once your child is "listed", other people can search for your child, request to become friends with them, and view any information that your child has placed on Facebook.


 * However **, Facebook does have privacy controls that you and your child can control through your child's account. You can select options that do not allow others to search for your child and you can limit the information that others see.

You can also discuss information safety with your child to help your child understand which information is appropriate to share online and which information is inappropriate. For more information on Facebook safety, visit this article.

Can Facebook help my child with school?
Students can use Facebook to connect to other students in their class, which can be beneficial when students have questions about an assignment or when they have to work together on projects or other homework. Students can also use Facebook to organize projects and events with their classmates.

On the other hand, the main purpose of Facebook is to help people socialize with one another, which can become a distraction for your student. Facebook usage and limits should be decided between you and your child.

=__Helpful Facebook Resources__= The following video explains how to sign up for a Facebook account. The video also gives a tour of Facebook and explains how to find and add friends to your Facebook account. media type="youtube" key="ur5kNj61dxs" height="257" width="422"

The following video explains how to adjust the Facebook privacy settings. media type="youtube" key="4_qnTj015nY" height="318" width="363"