Have you advised your kids not to talk to strangers? How about keeping the doors locked when they are home alone? Did you get them to memorize your phone numbers? How about staying safe online? After spending hours discussing basic safety measures with your kids, don’t forget to include online safety, especially on Facebook. There is no running away from the fact that our lives are touched and shaped by technology. It is time we wake up to the reality that our kids are no longer an exception. Among the 900 million odd Facebook users, around 7 million profiles are operated by kids under 13 years. For most of the kids of this generation, the internet is their play field. They know their way around internet more than most of us. Recent reports in leading journals suggested that Facebook is coming up with new technology that could allow children under 13 years to use their site with parental supervision. Although, Facebook currently bans kids under 13 to join its site, this move to open its doors to children under 13 and may spark discussions on child safety and privacy. Before we spark furious debates on online safety for children, let us understand that Facebook is not developing a kid’s centric site. It is bringing in more controls and buffers so that kids use Facebook more legitimately and in an age-appropriate environment. Although it is very difficult to enforce stringent rules on using the internet, Facebook is working on bringing in mechanisms that will link children’s Facebook account to that of their parents. This way parents can control their kids ‘friend’ list, the applications they use and the conversations they have. While it is safe to discourage kids to use the internet altogether, the only alternative is to take certain precautions regarding Facebook usage like having an open conversation with your kids regarding protecting online identity, learning about Facebook privacy settings and controls. And as much as possible, it is better to have a ‘no-pictures’ policy. Facebook, being the social networking revolution to hit the internet like never before, it is understandable that kids want to be a part of it. Whether you like it or not, Facebook is being used by kids under 13 even though it is not very safe. There is simply no technology that can make Facebook or any other site for that matter safe for kids. Facebook is just as safe as any other site on the internet. Having said that, the only way we can ensure some form of online safety for our kids is by building in more stringent strategies and measures such as parental controls and online safety education. Only then can we expect Facebook to be an online environment where interacting with friends and family is not only easy but also safe.