Developed by Heidi Dusek, 4-H Youth & Family Coordinator Outagamie County UW-Cooperative Extension

Adapted from ©2008 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

Doing business as the Division of Cooperative Extension of the University of Wisconsin-Extension

Guidelines for Facebook Use

A core function of Facebook is the “My Friends” tool which allows individuals to friend one another,

allowing them to see each other’s individual profile. Facebook also allows groups to form around

common topics. These groups can be public or private (members-only).

The use of Facebook (and other Social Networking tools) is growing among all demographics

throughout the Wisconsin and the US. Privacy settings should be guarded. The default privacy

settings for Facebook leave personal information wide open to be seen by unintended strangers. By

carefully setting privacy settings, one can avoid this pitfall.

Privacy Settings tips for Personal Profile on Facebook

When you create a Facebook profile/account, the default settings are very open. To set

tighter restrictions on who can see what on your profile click on “Privacy” in the upper

right corner. Here are some recommended privacy settings:

1. Set most of the settings to “only my friends” or “only me.” Be careful who you accept

as “friends.” You should already know the person and have met them before

accepting them as friends. Choose your friends wisely.

2. For search, allow it to search for you, but uncheck the option that people who

search can see “my friends” list. Uncheck the option that allows public to search

engines to find you in Facebook.

3. Keep your information to yourself. Don’t post your (or anyone else’s) full name,

address, phone number or any financial information. Even if you only allow your

friends to see your page, some of the main information in your profile will still show

up if a search is conducted on Facebook.

4. Post information you are comfortable with others seeing and knowing about you.

Once you post information online, you can’t take it back. Even if you delete the

information on the site, older versions exist on other computers and on the site

owner’s server. Be mindful that businesses, customers, and others are using

Facebook to find information about you too.

Developed by Heidi Dusek, 4-H Youth & Family Coordinator Outagamie County UW-Cooperative Extension

Adapted from ©2008 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

Doing business as the Division of Cooperative Extension of the University of Wisconsin-Extension

5. Posting and “Tagging” photos opens up some privacy concerns. (Tagging a photo is

when you click on the image and type in the name of the person/ “Friend” in the

photo). When you tag someone in a photo (even in a private group) the photo is

accessible through that person’s profile. Don’t post or tag photos that you don’t

want shared publicly. A good rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t want your parents or

your teachers to see the picture, it does not belong on Facebook!

6. Facebook profiles are “deactivated” when you leave Facebook. What that means is

that the information and files are still stored on Facebook’s server unless you

request in writing to delete your account permanently.

7. Trust your gut. If you feel threatened or uncomfortable because of something

online, tell an adult you trust, report to police and the social networking site. You

could end up preventing someone else from getting hurt!

8. Don’t post anything online that you wouldn’t share in person. Social networking is

just a tool; it should not replace face-to-face conversations.

Additional Resources for Facebook and Social Networking

1. Video Tutorial on how to create a Facebook Fan page (developed by Heidi Dusek, Outagamie

County UW-Cooperative Extension)

http://www.screencast.com/users/hdusek/folders/Default/media/95b305c8-ac30-4626-9954-

40c10d08c579

2. A Beginners Guide to Facebook

http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/internet/page7430.cfm

3. Parenting Pages: Teens & Technology (Cornell University Cooperative Extension)

http://parenting.cit.cornell.edu/documents/Teens%20and%20Technology%20Updated.pdf

4. Netsmartz (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) www.netsmartz.org

*tons of free resources, videos, and presentations on a variety of technology related items!

5. PBS Frontline: Growing up Online

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/