Facebook Tops 100 Million U.S. Users

Facebook has crossed the 100-million-user mark in the U.S. a week after announcing it had surpassed 350 million members worldwide. More startling, however, is the fact that if FaceBook were a country it would be the 5th most populous in the world.

According to Comscore, 52% of Facebook users are between 18 and 34 years old and 19% are 35 to 44 but what I really want to know is how many Facebook users are tweens (10 -12 year olds).

Although Facebook states in its terms - You will not use Facebook if you are under 13 – many of my daughter’s 11-year old friends already have Facebook accounts. Given the peer pressure that exists at this age, this often puts kids (and parents) in an uncomfortable position.

A mom confided to me that she had received a “friend” request from her daughter’s 11-year old friend. She had no idea how to respond. Would it be rude to decline? Should she accept just to learn what 11-year olds were posting? If she accepted was she tacitly endorsing an illegal behavior? What message would it send to her daughter who was following the rules?

Some parents argue that it’s ok to bend the rules a little as long as their kids agree to add them as a friend. They assume that, if they can see what’s going on, they will be able protect their kids. Hello! Have you heard of privacy settings? Kids can segment their “friends” into customized groups and post selectively to each group. So, don’t assume that you are seeing the full picture. You could be seeing just what your son or daughter wants you to see.

A dad I spoke to had a different perspective. His son wanted to friend him on Facebook but, as he said: “My Facebook friends are old college mates, ex-girlfriends, and the bartender from my local hangout ……it’s like a big, weird party with some dicey comments. I don’t want my kids to be a part of that.”
If you are going to allow your kid to have a Facebook account, be smart about it. Sign up yourself so you can get to know how it works. Facebook has recently updated its privacy settings to ensure users have greater control. Here’s a link to one of the most helpful articles I’ve found on the topic:
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/the-new-facebook-privacy-settings-a-how-to/