Posted by admin on September 12th, 2009 in Facebook, Internet Use, Parenting

I reviewed a survey recently that clearly shows that parents still under-estimate their teenager’s time (and usage) of Facebook.  Common Sense Media, a media watchdog group that researches and discusses children’s media exposure, recently released the results of their online survey.   This is the first survey I’ve seen that asked parents about their perceptions of their own children’s use of Facebook (and other things but Facebook is the subject here).

It Begins in the Hallway and Continues Online

Socializing is 24/7 these days.  There are no cut-offs (except for family rules) in the teenage social world any longer.  According to the survey, about 22 percent of teenagers say they check their social networks more than 10 times a day, only 4 percent of parents believe their children do so.  Do you see the disparity?

And, while 51 percent check more than once daily, only 23 percent of parents acknowledge this fact (or maybe don’t know?)

Mind the Gap (as they say in the UK)

According to James Steyer, the chief executive of Common Sense Media, “the figures pointed to a gap in  parents’ understanding of how their children’s social lives were structured.”  “It’s not just that parents don’t keep track,” he said.  “They also don’t know the extent to which this has changed the way kids socialize, the way they communicate and also the way they learn.”

Profound, yes?

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