Understanding Facebook: Presentation in PDF Format

Social networking sites provide
people with a virtual
environment where they share
stories, pictures, videos, and
participate in chat rooms with
friends and acquaintances.

Facebook is the skating rink of today…
it is where kids hang out.

Who is using it?
65% of teens have at least 1 online profile
- National Crime Prevention Council
HCS asked (grades 6-12) students to take a
social networking survey
– 665 middle school students took the survey
– 50% reported having a Facebook account
– 279 high school students took the survey
– 84% reported having a Facebook account

How often do they check Facebook?
HMS Students
– 63% check Facebook daily
HHS Students
– 70% check Facebook daily
How do they usually check Facebook?
HMS Students
– 74% use a computer, 26% use a mobile device
HHS Students
– 65% use a computer, 35% use a mobile device

What are they doing in there?
The good…
• Socializing
• Discussing assignments
• Collaborating
• Learning social rules
• Discussing interests
• Designing profiles (self-expression)
• Adding and sharing pictures and videos
• Writing blogs
• Social/political activism
• Keeping in touch with friends long-term

Why our kids like Facebook:
“It’s another way of staying connected.”
“I am friends with all of my relatives on Facebook,
that is really why we have Facebook - to connect
with them.”
“Sometimes it is more convenient to talk to people
through it.”
“This is how I keep in touch with family that lives
far away.”

What else are they doing in there?
The bad…
• Venting/Ranting
• Showing off
• Embarrassing self
• Damaging reputation/Information lingers
• Pulling pranks
• Getting even
• Teasing
• Seeking validation
• Spam/Viruses

What we worry about
The ugly…
• Bullying/Cyberbullying
• Threatening
• Harassing
• Interacting with online predators
• Viewing/posting inappropriate content/images
• Contributing to destructive, illegal or inappropriate
behavior

Bullying through social networking
32% of teens have experienced some
type of harassment online
- Pew Internet Research, 2009
• 6% of HMS students report being bullied on a social
networking site
• 9% of HHS students reported being bullied
“… people sent me mean
and harassing messages
through Facebook saying
they hated me…”
“… a fake Facebook
page was created
about me.”

Facts and Figures
- Pew Internet Research, 2009
– 15% have had private info forwarded without
their permission
– 13% received threatening messages
– 13% said someone spread a rumor about them
online
– 6% had someone post an embarrassing picture
of them online without permission

“Facebook is a social networking site
– the purpose is to get to know others
better. If I limit my profile to only
those I know, well, what’s the point?”
“Facebook is there to meet people,
you meet people that you don’t know!”

49% of teens who use social networking websites use it
to make friends with people they don’t know.
- Pew Internet Research, 2009
Is this
Networking or Talking to Strangers?
Accept “friends” they have never met:
44% of HMS students
58% of HHS students

What personal information is
available on Facebook?
• HMS students:
– 59% address
– 18% phone number
– 63% hometown
– 52% email
• HHS students
– 6% address
– 29% phone number
– 65% hometown
– 61% email

Are they friends with adult
family members?
(parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles)
• 86% of HMS students and 83% of HHS
students said yes
• 14% HMS students and16% HHS students
say they have content on their pages that
they would not want their family to see.

Facts and Figures
-University of Toronto, 2009
• 2 in 5 teens tell their parents nothing about what they do
online.
• 1 in 4 teens who have restrictions online can find a way
around them.
“I block my parents’
“I’m not friends with my mother,
friends from seeing my
because she is nosy and
wall because they check
Facebook is where I express how
mine everyday.”
I feel. And some days, my status
is about her.”
“I don’t want my mom
commenting on my
stuff where my friends
can see.”
“It’s my stuff! I don’t want
them seeing who posts on
my wall.”

So what can parents do?
Welcome to the Safety Center

Fences are not sufficient
To be safe around all water, we
teach kids to swim.

Privacy
Facebook allows you to control who can
see what you share by selecting one of four
global privacy setting groupings:
• Everyone = Public/wide open
• Friends of Friends
• Friends Only
• Recommended

Who understands the privacy settings?
HMS students
– 66% said they do understand
HHS School
– 73% said they do understand them
Who uses privacy settings?
• 55% of HMS students said their page is not set to
private
• 38% of HHS students said their page is not set to
private

Remember:
Just because it is set to private doesn’t
make it private.
“Remember, unless you're prepared
to attach something in your profile
to a resume or scholarship application,
don't post it.”
- Facebook Safety

Tips for
Safe
Online
Social
Networking

Safety Tips:
• Talk about inappropriate
behavior/content
• Talk about posting and sharing
personal information
• Discuss privacy settings
• Don't give out passwords to friends

What do I do if someone is
harassing me on Facebook?
• Block the person using the "Block List" option at the
bottom of the Privacy Settings page. If this does not
resolve the problem, please report the user by clicking
the "Report/Block this Person" link that appears at the
bottom of the user's profile.
• To report a user for a message you have received, use
the report link located next to the message in your
Inbox.

Block, Report, Remove
• Block - Prevents specific people from viewing your profile.
Any ties you currently have with the people you block will
be broken (friendship connections, friend details, etc.).
Your profile will not be visible to them and you will not
appear in their search results or friend lists. Blocking is
mutual, so they will also become invisible to you as well.
• Report – Click the “Report” link next to a profile, photo,
inbox message, group/event, or page that is abusive.
When a report is submitted, Facebook will review it and
take any action warranted by their Statement of Rights
and Responsibilities.
• Remove – If you would like to remove a friend, navigate
to the person’s profile and click the "Unfriend" link on the
left side of their profile, beneath their highlighted friends.

Helpful Sites
• The Facebook Safety page contains resources for
parents, teens, educators and law enforcement
on personal safety and how we respond to
objectionable content or unwanted contact in
the rare case that it occurs on Facebook.
www.facebook.com/help/?safety=general
• The Facebook Security page provides information
about the steps Facebook takes to help you
protect your account and your information, as
well as tips and advice on how to avoid threats
like viruses, spam, phishing and malware.
www.facebook.com/help/

What other resources are
available regarding internet safety?
A Thin Line
Beatbullying.org
Child Exploitation and Online
Protection Centre (CEOP)
Childnet-int.org
Commonsense.org
NetSmartz.org
OnguardOnline.gov
TRUSTe.org
UK Council for Child Internet Safety
WebWiseKids.org
ConnectSafely.org
WiredSafety
Cyberbullying Research Center
FOSI.org
NCMEC.org
STOP cyberbullying
Teenangels
WiredKids