What rubbish. Children never listens to their parents, period. There's no such thing as a parent becoming a best friend to a child. Have you ever heard of a child telling their "bestie" about their sexual life?

I am in full agreement. I have refused 3 times to befriend my nephew on Facebook, because he is under 13, Facebook's supposed legal age. His parents pass off Facebook as a bit of fun, but I have seen plenty of relationship compromised by content on it.

I am agree with you Roland. And parents must educate their kids about how to use Internet safely in "fun" way. They must position theirself as "best friend" when explaining the rules, not as "parents". Because children more likely trust their "best friend" than their "parents" (especially teenager).

Dear Elsa, I have a child myself and I surely do not want that it falls victim to internet predators. So - when browsing the net, there are certainly ways to prevent that this children are getting lured into the (partially quite sophisticated) virtual nets of these nasty people. There are software based blockers which are reacting on keywords but for most important is to talk with your child, educate it and prepare it for this world (and the virtual one, as it will be more and more dominant in our future!) as good as possible.

AND - if it already happened that the child fell victim that it can be sure that it has the utmost trust in its parents.

To stick with my metaphor - it is common in Indonesia - and I am sure that you, if you are living here, saw it too many times, 12 year young kids driving daddy's motor bike recklessly, including the little brother and the best friend on the seat and the parents will do nothing against it until an accident happens and then commonly the accident "partner" is getting blamed BUT not the child and definitely not the parents itself!

It's always a matter of education for children as for parents alike, not just in rural areas but probably even more in urban areas as the accessibility to internet is there easier than in the countryside.

Roland, interesting methapor. But still children (based on Republic of Indonesia Law number 23 year 2002 on child protection, Chapter 1 Definitions Article 1; A "Child" shall mean a person under eighteen (18) years of age, including unborn) in rural area need somekind of "guide book" about how to use Internet safely.