Parents on Facebook: To friend or not to friend? (infographic)

By | January 14, 2012, 3:40am PST

Summary: A new Facebook study suggests some of the reasons why parents and children connect on the social networking site.

Are you keeping tabs on your child’s online behaviour and connections? You may not be the only one.

A new research infographic released by lab42 studied parental habits on social networks from December 9 – December 12, 2011, using a sample of 500 social media users.

According to the study, 92 percent of parents are Facebook friends with their children. One major concern for parents and the reason they connected with their children over the online network is cited as safety and worries over bullying.

Surprisingly, the research suggests that a marginally higher percentage of parents are worried that their children are bullying others on Facebook, rather than experiencing cyberbullying themselves.

72 percent of parents hold the keys to their child’s Facebook account, and 55 percent indicated they were also making sure the networking site isn’t it interfering with homework, chores or family activities.

Most parents check their child’s Facebook on a daily basis — 43 percent — while 31 percent monitor accounts four or five times a week.

However, parents aren’t the only ones checking out their family’s profile pages. Children also demonstrated active connections to their parents, 54 percent of whom write on their parent’s walls and 51 percent stated they comment on photos.

Parents appear to send friend requests more than children, with comparitive values at 55 percent and 45 percent.

For more statistics concerning this, check out the infographic below.

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London-based medical anthropologist Charlie Osborne is a journalist, graphic designer and former teacher.

Disclosure

Charlie Osborne

I have no current affiliations or relationships that are worth noting.

Biography

Charlie Osborne

Charlie Osborne, Medical Anthropologist who studied at the University of Kent, UK, is a journalist, graphic designer and former teacher.

After studying Anthropology at university, she spent several years travelling and working across Europe and the Middle East, living for periods of time in Italy and Spain. She has been involved in the running of several businesses ranging from University media and events to b2b sales, and works currently as a freelance website designer and mobile development specialist.

She has particular interests in social media, intellectual property law, data protection and online hacker organisations.

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I don't see anything wrong on parents being socially connected with their children, its part of being a parent to monitor our children's social connection just to be sure they're on the right track.

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