By Will Fessenden

Maine, like much of the nation, has really taken to sites such as FaceBook and Myspace. As of early September, there were 376,000 Mainers on Facebook, and of those, 41,000 listed their age as being 17 or younger. In my professional life, I love the idea that social networking sites provide so many opportunities for targeting messages. As a parent, I am concerned about the type of information our children are putting out there.

If you watched TV in the 60s, 70s or 80s, you may remember the phrase: “It’s 10 p.m. Do you know where your children are?” It was often used in public service announcements on child safety. These days, even if you know your children are in the house, they may still be unsafe. Today’s public service announcement could be: “Do you know who your children are sending instant messages to?”

Most social networking Web sites do a nice job of offering privacy settings which restrict what information can be seen and by whom. However, those safeguards do not relieve parents and guardians of their responsibility to oversee and watch what their children are doing. Like any online use, parents and families should have guidelines as to where and when children should be using the computer.

Computers should be in a room accessible to everyone and use should be limited to certain times of the day. Caregivers should also sign up for and use the same social networking sites as children so they can monitor what’s going on. On FaceBook for example, make it a condition that you are a “friend,” which allows you to see their personal page. You should also review your child’s “friend” list — don’t hesitate to ask them about each “friend” to make sure they know them in real life. Be prepared to block some of them. Also, help children understand that some information should be kept private. They need to understand that once they post information online, it can’t be taken back. Screen names and passwords should not give away too much information.

Parents should also be checking cell phones. Take a look at what text messages your son or daughter has been sending. Since it is common place to access the Internet on cell phones, you may want to consider speaking with your cell phone provider about limits that can be placed on your child’s account. Some plans limit downloads and can block certain Web sites and texting. Check with your provider to see what is available and discuss the options as a family.

It is also important for parents to consider the information you are posting on your FaceBook or MySpace page. Have you set your privacy settings so that only family members and close friends can read about your family vacation and see pictures of the children? When it comes to being on the Web, it is important to practice what you preach to your kids.

Gaining momentum and becoming more and more popular are family-friendly social network sites. Famiva.com bills itself as “social network for families” and Familycrossings.com provides safe, family venues to share photographs, post profiles, blogs and videos. For parents and caregivers, commily.com is a Web site to “organize family life and connect to their local community.”

To make initial connections, many of the family friendly social networking sites require users to have the e-mail address of those they would like to connect with. While not perfect, this is an added level of security, a deterrent to potential online predators.

Web sites such as FaceBook and MySpace are here to stay. While they do provide a great opportunity to share photos and memories with family and friends, it is important to recognize their pitfalls and research sites that are appropriate for your family.

Editor’s note: Will Fessenden is a public relations specialist well-known for talking with Maine small business owners and non-profits about the potential benefits of social networking sites.