Although some people believe that 30 and 40-somethings join Facebook to reconnect with old high school flames, at least one report says that half of all parents are doing it to keep tabs on their children.
According to the Education Database Online blog, about half of all parents said part of the reason they joined was to see what their kids were up to.
Another 43 percent admitted to checking their kids' status updates every day. And probably the worst of all, 92 percent on social media have "friended" their children.
Not surprisingly, one in three teens say they have been embarrassed on social media by a parent. Thirty percent of teens also responded they would de-friend parents if they could.
At the age of 13, when teens are allowed to join Facebook, about 65 percent request their parents as friends. That number drops to 40 percent by age 20.
Parents obviously want to stay in touch with their children, and social networks are a way to do that.
The only problem occurs when parents are too nosy or too involved in their kids' lives — such as posting embarrassing photos or constantly messaging.
Like most things, parents have to learn when to back away and let their children act on what they have been taught at home.
Hopefully, that means being responsible and respectful online.