Facebook Terms for Parents

Parents can easily get lost when they start using Facebook. There's a load of things to click on, there's barely any explanation of what they are, and nouns are now verbs. Let's start with the basics.

First, there's a little box that is labeled as "status." You can write into this box anything that you're thinking or feeling. If you make a mistake and need to delete that post, a little "x" will appear at the right of the box. Click it, and the post will disappear.

Underneath these statuses, you can choose to like or leave a comment. Again, you can select "unlike" or delete your comment by moving to the right side of the box and clicking on the X.

Next up is dealing with friends. This is where the noun "friend" has turned into a verb. Kids talking about friending on Facebook often, and it's now something regularly recognized in pop culture. When you find someone you know, you send a friend request. Then, they have the chance to either accept or reject your invitation. This is the process of friending. Along the same train of thought, this is what people are talking about when they say they "liked" something on Facebook. It's beyond the fact that they actually enjoy something. It means that they saw a group on Facebook and they "Liked" it.

Speaking of groups, people can create groups and pages for things that they really enjoy or believe in. Other people can join these groups and post comments or receive updates about them. Beware, though. Any group you "Like" and join is posted on your wall, and everyone can see it. If you decide to not be a member of that group in hopes of hiding the fact that you once joined, it doesn't work that way either. It will post that you aren't a member of that group any more. So, be careful when dealing with groups.

Loading pictures is another particularly sticky point. By clicking on the photos options, you can add a photo album. Click on the option to add photos, and you can select photos from your pictures folder (or any folder for that matter) and have them loaded on Facebook for any of your friends to see.

This should get you started on the basics of Facebook. If anyone has any questions they would like answers to, you can check out my previous article, or leave your questions in the comment section below.