But there are ways to block some friends from seeing certain information, depending on the settings of your account. So if your boss asks to be your Facebook "friend" and you don't want him or her to see some information, it's possible to change your settings to block some access.

From Ron Hyte's perspective, children are probably the ones encouraging their parents to join Facebook. In fact, just as he said that, Hyte mentioned his daughter had sent him an instant message through Facebook and wanted to chat.

"It's kind of another kind of addiction, if you could call it that," Hyte said. "It's handy."

But nonetheless, having mom and dad (or even grandma and grandpa) on Facebook is weird for some users.

Consider the number of Web sites or Facebook sites created to protest parents joining social networks. One such Web site, www.myparentsjoinedfacebook.com, is a place where children can post "ridiculous" messages their parents have written on their Facebook page.

There is also the Facebook group, "Don't Let My Parents Onto Facebook!" It has more than 3,000 members and was originally created as a way to protest when Facebook was considering whether to allow all people to join the site.

But parents are also getting savvy to the ways of their kids. There's a Facebook group called "Moms whose kids are embarrassed that they have a Facebook." It has more than 3,500 members.

Last October, Lisa Belkin wrote a blog for The New York Times about her experiences as a mom on Facebook and said she joined the group for "Moms whose kids are embarrassed" after being rejected by her son as a Facebook friend. She said she was considering whether to start a new group: "Parents Who Can Navigate Facebook Without the Help of Their Children, Thank You Very Much."

"Many of my friends have children who happily "friend" them — and me," Belkin wrote in that blog. "My 16-year-old niece, in turn, pretends she has friended me and doesn't think I know that she has barred me from some of the more interesting parts of her Facebook. And my own sons? The older one has blocked me, and I haven't even bothered to friend the younger one."

For David Tucker of Bountiful, embarrassing his children is not a concern. His top worry is the safety of his personal information. Tucker does not have a profile picture on his page, nor does he include information such as the year he was born or other important details.

This past month, Facebook users initiated a fight against the company after it attempted to change its rules regarding ownership of information posted on the site. The company, after making some initial changes, recanted and is now rethinking its position.

"People tell me I'm cautious, and I'm probably more than I need to be," said Tucker, who is in his 60s. "But it's better to be more cautious, I think."