Discussions

I started using facebook a lot when my (now)adult kids drifted away from other email we'd been using. Facebook became their first choice to keep in touch with friends and family- both of my kids are far away and I haven't seen them for a long while. Their careers (and mine) have taken us far from our home town. I came to love it for the ease of sharing photos and news with the people we allow to access our sites.  
When the son of one of my oldest pals died, I realized that I'd lost contact with my friends' kids and my kids' friends. I learned of his death from mutual friends on facebook. Twenty years ago my daughter babysat this guy and he'd grown up and graduated university and had a career. His older sister (my old friend's first kid) was my daughter's friend and playmate years ago.  
I'd ignored most of the "people you may know- add as friend?" messages for the younger generation because it seemed weird or creepy to add 'facebook friends' from a younger generation. I'd never thought twice about adding a cousin or aunt or my mom's cousins, etc. I expressed my condolences through facebook and added all of my friends' kids and my kids' friends to my 'facebook friends'.  
I have been able to send congrats to two of them (for new babies (and loved to see the photos)) and to another for marriage. These are people I'd not have seen even in my old home town since everyone goes to where their careers or hearts take them.  
Facebook has been the best instrument for maintaining and renewing contact with people I care about. Yes- there are weirdos out there, but I think some of the fears being voiced here are a bit over the top. The freak who'd want to go to the trouble of putting your kid's face on a porno picture is most likely a freak who knows you and your kid and not some stranger. (My opinion)