You’re in my space!
A recent study shows that 48% of adults (a.k.a. your parents) currently have a Facebook or Myspace page. We all know that Facebook originally began as a social networking site strictly for high school and college students, but has slowly expanded to welcome users of all ages. This has obviously paid off (for them) as they’ve grown in popularity, but how has it affected you? Knowing that your parents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and other adults in your life can view your page at any time, have you changed the things you’re willing to post?
Essentially, your parents now have access to what you’re doing all the time, who you’re hanging out with it, and what you really did at that party last weekend (as proven by all those tagged photos). Assuming that your folks know how to use the internet and can figure out Facebook’s frustrating new redesign, they can check up on you constantly. Does that bother you? Does it alter the things you would normally say or do on FB or Myspace? Or do you think it’s a good thing that your parents, your friends’ parents, and/or your overbearing relatives can see what you’re up to?
If a new social networking site launched that only allowed users who were in junior high, high school or college, would you prefer that? Do you think that teens should have a site to call their own without the protective eyes of their parents constantly watching? Tell us what you think below!
9 Comments
You can just restrict your page so only friends can view it
then again, how could I just reject my mom’s friend request?
parents on Facebook are pretty dang annoying. My mom seems to enjoy reading my statuses, then calling or emailing me asking about specific details with them.
I understand it’s her way of trying to keep up on her son while I’m off at college, but as I begin to communicate with my peers more and more through facebook, it would be nice to not have my parents there always checking photos, and reading everything.
So ya, I would definitely go for a new network that’s restricted to middle school, high school, college students, whatever. I would also like an option that says “nobody over the age of 30 can see my facebook profile”. Whoever can get me one of the two of those will be my hero.
My mom has both a myspace and facebook as do I. I have always had both profiles set as private and I have not added her. At first she didn’t like that I wouldn’t add her. But I asked her when she was a teenager did she want her mother to know what was going on when it came to her life with her friends. And now she doesn’t really mind that I won’t add her, and she knows that if something really important happens I will call and tell her.
ok so I completely agree with Jaime, I believe that If your honest and upfront about it to your parents then there should be no problem.
I agree with Jaime and Michael. My mom has a myspace and so do I, and My mom, dad, aunts, uncles, and other family all have facebooks as well as myself. It doesn’t bother me because I have nothing to hide.
I don’t really see it as much of a problem on Facebook as it is on Myspace. Then again I don’t really see it as a “problem” per say, Facebook is really more geared towards college student while Myspace is focused to high school and middle school students. When you’re talking about young teens I think it is important for parents to be staying involved in their lives and know what’s going on just in case they are doing something they should not be doing. I understand that parents also want to keep in contact with their children in college, but that’s what a phone is for. If there is something really important that they want to let their parent know, they’ll tell them. College is the first time for many to really be on their own and make their own choices about what’s right and wrong. Your parents shouldn’t be checking on you making sure that what you’re doing is acceptable in their eyes.
My college Chemistry teacher was talking about Facebook in class one day. She even said, “what’s the deal with parents having a Facebook?” She said she has one because her son in middle school has one and she just wanted to check on him, but his profile is private and he won’t add her. She was upset at first but she got over it; she didn’t care. But she thinks that parents shouldn’t have Facebooks; that Facebook is for us, our generation.
Frankly, I don’t see the point. As said above by “Jamie” you can just set your profile to private and then reject your parents friend request. Just be cautious if you are still under your parents’ roof, you may end up grounded.
To be honest, it doesn’t bother me that my family is getting facebook accounts. My mother doesn’t have one, but my father does and it’s really just made it easier for me to stay in contact with him (I don’t live with my dad). I have aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and my sisters on there with me.
My sisters can be pretty overbearring sometimes, but like others have said- Facebook has neat little security things you can do to your profile. You can restrict access to applications, your notes, photos, and even who can see your profile in the first place. There’s also the lovely grouping ability, where you can block certain people from seeing certain things- like your creeper grandma going through your wall posts.
Just make sure you turn off the Pirate english first- it’s easier to understand the settings that way.
No way am I turning off the Pirate English! That’s the only language setting I use
Anyway, I also don’t have parents on facebook, but I do have aunts, uncles, and neighbors who would totally tell my parents if I had inappropriate pics or whatever. But I really don’t mind. If there are things on my page I don’t want my parents to see, then there are things on my page that I don’t want every kid in my high school to see. People are generally good about not quizzing me too much, and I like the accountability.