Parents Use Facebook to Spy on Their Children

Facebook is an extremely popular website that allows college students to share personal information with their fellow students. Millions of young people have created detailed profiles that describe everything from favorite music to sexual preference. A story in today's New York Times highlights some of the concerns about privacy that are raised by websites like Facebook.

According to the article, many parents are using Facebook to spy on their children's social lives. Adults are also using social networking websites to learn about their child's friends. Colleges and universities were overwhelmed this year by the number of parents who called and requested a roommate change based on something they saw on Facebook.

Never before has so much personal information been readily available for strangers. Young people should certainly be held responsible for the content of their profiles, but some college students may be too immature to fully understand what type of information should be kept private. Students need to seriously reconsider how much information they provide about themselves to protect personal privacy.

By the way, you can join the "For Our Future" Facebook group by clicking here.

UPDATE: Ezra Klein, one of my favorite writers from the American Prospect, has written a great article on this subject over at Campus Porgress.