by Susan Quilty

Created on: July 06, 2009

Facebook can be a great way to stay in touch. As more people are joining, families and friends are finding that Facebook is a fun place to share photos, play games together, and keep in touch with those who live far away.

There are certainly positive aspects of social networking at a site like Facebook. The site first began in a dorm room at Harvard as a way for students to meet and socialize with each other. For kids, Facebook can be a great way to find new friends. Students can learn about each others' interests outside of school and stay in touch during school breaks.

There are also some concerns when child use Facebook and other social networking sites. Care should be taken to keep personal information private and avoid online predators. Rumors and misunderstanding can also take form online. However, one of the biggest concerns is that of addiction.

Facebook is a free site that is easy to navigate and offers many entertaining distractions. While most schools block Facebook access from classroom computers, Facebook Mobile lets users stay in touch through their cell phones. It is easy to spend hours a day on Facebook and become addicted to its allure.

Signs of Possible Facebook Addiction in a Child or Teen:

1. Spending more than an hour on Facebook each day.

2. Staying up too late and losing sleep to spend more time on Facebook.

3. Caught trying to get around Facebook limits at home and school (sneaking out of bed at night, using Facebook Mobile at school, etc.).

4. Putting Facebook ahead of homework, school, and other activities.

5. Opting to stay on Facebook instead of seeing friends in person.

6. Panicking at the idea of being away from Facebook for any length of time (on vacation, during a power outage, etc.)

Parents need to set limits on Facebook usage just as they would for TV or video games. While it is usually not necessary to ban Facebook entirely, taking a break from Facebook for several days at a time may be needed to break an unhealthy habit.

By enforcing limits on Facebook, instead of banning it outright, parents teach children how to find balance. Children learn that Facebook, like other fun things in life, are fine in moderation but should not take over the rest of their lives.

There are some simple steps that parents can take to put an end to a Facebook addiction or keep an addiction from starting:

1. Join Facebook yourself and make it a rule that your child must "friend" you.

This lets you keep an eye on how often your child

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