Most of us realize that social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace and now Google+ have brought a new level of thinking when we consider our own personal privacy and ability to remain anonymous in a world where everyone appears to connect. The six degrees of separation seems to make more and more sense!
For those connected through adoption, it is certainly a convenient and savvy way for birth parents and adoptive families to link and have direct communication. However, depending on the situation, there are positives and negatives to diving into communication in such a way.
Children who were adopted 20, 30, and 40 years ago may find themselves searching for members of their birth family or being contacted by members of the birth family. This issue becomes increasingly complex when the adoptive family has chosen not to share a child's adoption story with them, which was an accepted practice many years ago, or when the birth mother or birth father has chosen to keep their adoption plan confidential.
The Today Show did an excellent story with Dr. Adam Pertman discussing issues that arise pertaining to Facebook and social networking (video below). For adoptive parents, it can only enforce the importance of total and complete honesty with kids about their adoption story.
Think about this...if you don't give them information in an age-appropriate way, are you comfortable with it coming from someone else?
For more insights into how Facebook impacts adoption visit the following: The Impact of Social Networking on Domestic Adoption and Webinar: Is That My Birth Mom on Facebook?
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