Moms Talk: Monitoring Social Networking

Each week in Moms Talk, our of experts and smart moms take your questions, give advice and share solutions.

So, grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today with a question from :

Social media sites have gained amazing popularity in the last several years, with adults and kids alike maintaing pages on Facebook, Myspace and Twitter to name just a few.  

Unfortunately, cyberbullies and sexual predators are also lurking where our kids are "playing," and many parents are concerned about safety on these sites.  

But nowadays, kids are likely more computer-savvy than their parents, and moms and dads are often perplexed about how to monitor the sites their kids frequent, or whether it's a losing battle to monitor them at at all.

Is the answer blocking certain sites or installing keystroke logging software? Restricting computer use to a public area in the home? What about when your child has a smartphone and essentially takes his or her social media sites with them wherever they go? Do you simply talk to your kids about the dangers and hope for the best?

Do you monitor/regulate your child's computer usage and if so, how?