Are you the parent of a child who has been requesting their own Facebook page? In this episode of The Lab, Daddy Clay sits down with the authors of "The Smart Parent's Guide to Facebook" to discuss this parenting dilemma. They give advice on what the appropriate age is for kids to start social networking, and also provide Internet safety tips on how to avoid things like cyber bullying. DadLabs Ep. 594 is brought to you by BabyBjorn.

Daddy Clay: Hey there, I'm Daddy Clay. Welcome back to the studios. We're here today with the authors of "The Smart Parent's Guide to Facebook" Megan Butler-Hannon and Matt. Come right back and they'll tell us what to do when our kids want to friend us up.
Daddy Clay: Today's episode is brought to us by BabyBjorn. We realize that once a kid gets on Facebook, they're probably too old for this bib, but if you're watching for 15, 16 hours at a time, you just drool right into this thing. It's useful then too, don't you think? BabyBjorn, it's good for Facebook. Facebook can be scary to parents. I think a lot of parents think that you could actually be kidnapped through the screen where there are hordes of perverts waiting.
Matt: Yeah, it's pretty much just all perverts and your kid. Basically that's what they think.
Daddy Clay: But this is a common perception. Is it really dangerous? Is it okay for kids to go on Facebook?
Matt: Yes, it is okay for kids to go on Facebook. The research that we've been doing is showing that for the most part, it's a very safe activity. And there are few things to be concerned about which we do write about in the book. But overall, Facebook is not the type of place where predators are lurking and stuff like that.
Daddy Clay: So are there some steps that we can take to make sure so that if our kids are engaging in it, say it's okay, it's safe. Are there some dangers to be avoided? What are some precautions we should take?
Megan: Well the main thing on Facebook with cyberbullying that you'll see a lot of is inappropriate wall posts. So a kid will post on another kid's wall and say something that's mean. And instead of just a face to face conversation between two kids where that insult would just stay there on Facebook, it's magnified, so many other people see it. And so in the book, we say what we've heard on a public service announcement which is think before you post.
Daddy Clay: How do we counsel as parents the kids that are starting to feel badly because of something that's been said or done?
Matt: One of the interesting things about all these new social networks and technology is that we still have a big disconnect between online ethics and the way we treat other people.
Daddy Clay: All you have to do is look at our YouTube comments. Go on our YouTube videos about like dry ice and see.
Matt: People will say anything. They will not say it to your face. But online they will say it.
Daddy Clay: At what age do you think it's appropriate to start introducing them to Facebook?
Matt: You really just need to judge the maturity of your child. We really think online parenting and Facebook parenting really needs to be a mirror of the way you really parent. If you're a good parent, you get to know your child and know if they are old enough to be able to follow some simple rules very well. Like, don't post private information that you wouldn't want anybody to know. Don't make friends with anybody that you don't know personally. Because Facebook isn't really designed for that. There's other sites designed to help you meet people. Facebook, you're supposed to connect with friends you know in real life.
Daddy Clay: If folks want to get a copy of this book, The Smart Parent's Guide to Facebook, where do they go to get a copy of this?
Matt: Smartparentbook.com. And that gives you links to a lot of helpful information. And we're just starting to get it available in some local bookstores in Austin as well. BookPeople, it's available there. And it'll be available at some other ones soon.
Daddy Clay: Thanks again guys for coming in. We really appreciate the authors of The Smart Parent's Guide to Facebook. Pick up a copy if you can. Thanks a lot to our sponsors BabyBjorn. Fantastic baby gear. Beautiful design. It's almost as sleek as Facebook. Join us next time in The Lab. We'll see you. I'm Daddy Clay.