A study (n.調查) has found that parents use social (adj.社交的) networks (n.網絡) such as Facebook (n.“臉書”) to understand their children better.
In a poll (n.問卷調查) conducted (v.做) in October and November last year, The Church of United Brethren (n.弟兄們) in Christ (n.基督教協基會) said nearly half of 1,300 parents with children studying in primary and secondary schools have Facebook accounts (n.帳戶).
According to CUBC (n.（基督教）協基會), most parents who have Facebook accounts are usually listed (v.加入名單) as "friends" by their children.
Around 80 percent said they do not actively (adv.主動地) comment on their children's postings (n.留言) and activities.
Through Facebook, they discovered that their children have emotional (adj.情緒的) problems, but chose to observe how they interacted (v.溝通) with peers (n.同輩) until they saw a need to discuss the problems with them face to face (adv.面對面地).
About 40 percent of the parents interviewed (v.訪問) said they rarely (adv.很少) rely on digital (adj.電子的) communication to build a relationship with their children.
"Parents should consider (v.顧及) their children's position (n.處境) before reacting (v.回應) to them on Facebook as this could worsen (v.使惡化) their relationships should their children lose face (v.丟臉) before their peers," said Cheng Tze-wah (n.鄭子華), spokesman (n.發言人) for CUBC.
(The Standard, April 23)
一項調查發現，家長會利用Facebook（“臉書”）等社交網絡來加深了解子女。
基督教協基會在去年十月和十一月所做的一項問卷調查顯示，在受訪的一千三百名中小學生家長中，近半數擁有Facebook帳戶。
根據協基會的資料，擁有Facebook帳戶的家長，大多數都被子女加入“朋友”名單中。
約八成表示，他們不會主動評論子女的留言和活動。
若透過Facebook發現子女有情緒問題，父母會選擇觀察他們如何與同輩溝通，直至感到有需要時，才會與他們面對面討論問題。
約四成受訪父母表示，他們很少依賴電子媒介與子女建立關係。
協基會發言人鄭子華說：“父母在Facebook回應子女前，要顧及子女的處境，因為若子女在同輩面前丟臉，便會令親子關係惡化。”
（《英文虎報》，四月二十三日）
閱讀指引
1. log on (v) /'lɒg 'ɒn/，log-ON 登入電腦系統、上網
解讀：log on也常說作log in，本指登入電腦系統，尤指利用特定的登入名字和密碼，例如︰He logged on / in to check his email（他登入電腦系統，查看自己的電郵）；log on / in另一個差不多的意思則是上網。
2. brethren (n) /'breðrən/，BREATH-run 弟兄們、同道
解讀：brethren是brother（兄弟、弟兄）古時的複數，現在不會在日常對話中指兄弟們，而只會指教會內稱呼教友或男修會成員的“弟兄們”，文中基督教協基會的名字中便是這個意思；此外，brethren也指同一組織的同道，同樣是複數。
3. lose face (v) /'lu:z 'feɪs/，lose-FACE 丟臉、出醜
解讀：lose face的有趣之處，是先有中文“丟臉”一語，然後英語才仿造出lose face這個短語；本文談Facebook（“臉書”），撰文者遂有意多用含有face的詞語，除了末段的lose face外，尚有第五段的face to face（面對面地）。
文︰范斌
