One of our Foster Carers, Alan has kindly reasearched Facebook and come up with some amazing facts for our carers. We understand that Facebook is a real issue for many of our carers and we will be holding training on Facebook and Social Networking in 2011.
Launched February 2004
As Social network for Harvard University students
December 2004 – 1 million users
December 2005 -(still within American colleague network) 5.5 Million users
December 2006 -(Site opened up to everyone ) 12 Million users
October 2007 – (Mobile applications launched) 50 Million users
August2008 December 2009 December 201
100 Million users 350 Million users 500 Million users
Facebook user base would be the equivalent to the third largest country on earth
Quick facts
50% of active users log on every day
Average user has 130 friends
Over 70% of Facebook users are outside the United States
Over 200 Million users access from their mobile
Mobile users are twice as active on Facebook
Since social Plug-in launched in April 2010 an average of 10,000 new websites integrate with Facebook EVERY DAY
(Plug-in – software component that adds specific capabilities to the soft ware application)
Facebook is the internet’s generation’s equivalent of the Town Hall;
Speakers corner (Hyde Park)
Or the local public house
Where people come together to exchange Ideas and Gossip
Attempting to block such activity is not only bound to fail but will separate (parents, guardians, carers) from the very people they are trying to protect
Facebook and other emerging social media’s are here to stay
Faceing up to Facebook fears and learning to use these new tools to
Engage and Educate are challenges that we must embrace and master
Just like teaching a child to cross the road or
Trusting them to play safely when not in our line of sight
We should be teaching our children how to engage this new exciting media safely.
Yes they will make mistakes, but just like when a child falls and hurts themselves,
We help them recover and learn from the accident, then
Allow them to continue exploring their ability’s
The same principles apply to their on line world
Of course install safeguards but also educate them how to protect their identity, only have friends they know in the real world. Never arrange to meet strangers in fact all the safety guides that you give them in the real world adapt to their internet world
Allowing them to explore this amazing environment
Safely
