To Facebook or not to Facebook

Personally, I think facebook is an excellent way to communicate, connect, and reconnect with people in your life or those that were in your life. It's a simpler way to communicate for those that are mature enough to handle it. No one with out a basic understanding of how the internet works, how companies will bombard you with ads, and what's safe on the internet should be on facebook, particularly young kids. The only people kids should need to connect with in their life is friends from school and family, no child has old colleagues they want to check up on. Using facebook to connect with family far away is understandable, but a telephone or skype is a much more practicle tool to use at such a young age. The internet is filled with inappropriate things, creeps, and ads that most kids aren't savvy enough to understand or avoid. But I believe the worst part of having kids on facebook is the fact that they don't realize the severity and importance of what they put online. They don't realize it's on the internet forever and is there for everyone to see. Privacy settings are often ignored by kids and therefore all their information is out, not only for advertizers but for everyone, creeps included.