Parents joining Facebook - The party is over

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the implications of parents joining Facebook and sending friend requests to their children. Participants explore the social dynamics, privacy concerns, and generational differences associated with this trend. The conversation touches on personal experiences, societal expectations, and the impact of social media on family relationships.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express discomfort with parents joining Facebook, citing concerns about privacy and the awkwardness of parental oversight.
  • Others share personal anecdotes about accepting friend requests from parents and the mixed feelings that accompany it.
  • A few participants suggest that having parents on Facebook could promote more responsible online behavior among children.
  • There are mentions of the generational gap in understanding social media, with some parents being oblivious to the implications of their children's online activities.
  • Some participants highlight the need for independence from parental oversight, especially for older teenagers and young adults.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential risks of sharing personal information online, including the presence of online predators.
  • Several participants agree on the awkwardness of social interactions that arise from parents being active on social media.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express a mix of discomfort and acceptance regarding parents on Facebook, with no clear consensus on whether it is beneficial or detrimental. The discussion remains unresolved, with competing views on the implications of parental involvement in children's online lives.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various personal experiences and societal observations, indicating that the discussion is influenced by individual perspectives on family dynamics and social media usage.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to parents navigating social media, young adults considering their online presence, and individuals interested in the social implications of technology on family relationships.

Ivan Seeking
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When Mom or Dad Asks To Be a Facebook 'Friend'

When Matt Florian signed onto his Facebook account recently to check the status of his 400-plus friends, he had a friend request.

It was from his dad.

The junior at Sherwood High School in Montgomery County didn't panic. No. He simply took a deep breath and pondered his options...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/08/AR2008030801034.html
 
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My mother has a facebook account and so does my aunt and uncle. It's not that bad, however I took down any incriminating pictures a while back (due to job reasons).
 
Personally I would probably be more concerned with what I would see on my parents' pages.
 
Amazing coincidence : my father requested friendship on facebook yesterday ! I accepted gladly, but I'm 29 and he does not speak english. I must say I thought of removing some pictures, but eventually I did not.
 
These days to date a girl you have to accept her parents as facebook friends, too
 
junglebeast said:
These days to date a girl you have to accept her parents as facebook friends, too

... i guess if you're 14?
 
Pengwuino said:
... i guess if you're 14?

That's what you think. My girlfriend's dad joined facebook, befriended me, and posted a flurry of messages all over my wall, all in the same day. It freaked her out.
 
Just stay out of facebook. There's enough awkwardness in normal life.
 
  • #10
junglebeast said:
That's what you think. My girlfriend's dad joined facebook, befriended me, and posted a flurry of messages all over my wall, all in the same day. It freaked her out.

It's called ignoring friend requests.
 
  • #11
My mother recently joined facebook to communicate with her golf and bridge buddies, but she knows better than to friend request me.
 
  • #12
russ_watters said:
My mother recently joined facebook to communicate with her golf and bridge buddies, but she knows better than to friend request me.

I feel the love:smile:
 
  • #13
lol My dad was telling my brother today there is a Facebook group called "Parents whose children won't friend them."
 
  • #14
Mk said:
Just stay out of facebook. There's enough awkwardness in normal life.
100% agreement on that.
 
  • #15
On occasion I get requests from people I know, but don't really know (if you know what I mean). They just decide to friend me because we've talked once in the lounge. I usually just friend them, and unfriend them a few weeks later. That way they don't feel bad about not being friended, and forget by the time I unfriend them. The only problem is that then you keep popping up as 'people you may know'! Then there like, hmmm wait a minute. :smile:

It's kind of like firing someone on a friday. It avoids less problems throughout the week.
 
  • #16
Mk said:
Just stay out of facebook. There's enough awkwardness in normal life.

Agreed.

A couple of times (not anymore fortunately) when I was extremely drunk, I posted on random people's pages saying stuff that didn't make sense. It was embarrasing to say the least.

I'm still in college.
 
  • #17
FireSky86 said:
A couple of times (not anymore fortunately) when I was extremely drunk, I posted on random people's pages saying stuff that didn't make sense. It was embarrasing to say the least.
But this has nothing to do with facebook. It's only because you found out how you behave when drunk.
 
  • #18
Just think about the amount of CO2e attributable to people poking each other and writing the word lol. bastards.

The party is over? Facebook was a party? It's just an emmence vapid exercise in bullsh*t
 
  • #19
I'm a parent and there isn't any way I want to look at my daughters page.

I know way more than I want to already.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #20
Alfi said:
I'm a parent and there isn't any way I want to look at my daughters page.

I know way more than I want to already.

I agree...when it comes to the older teenagers. However, when it comes to the little one...we watch her like a hawk. She's not on facebook but several of her elementary school friends are...thanks to their parents and grandparents.
 
  • #21
My daughter has been on Facebook for a while, and my wife just joined. Out of the blue, my wife has been contacted by people with whom she went to JHS and SHS in the 1960's. Her 40th HS reunion is coming up.

We have monitored our kids on the internet, and until they were 16, we have parental controls active. Since they are 17 or older, we suspended the parental restrictions.

I have no inclination to join Facebook.
 
  • #22
I accepted my mom, when she friended me. Pretty much everyone in my family, besides my dad, has a page.
 
  • #23
WhoWee said:
I agree...when it comes to the older teenagers. However, when it comes to the little one...we watch her like a hawk. She's not on facebook but several of her elementary school friends are...thanks to their parents and grandparents.

Well you really should be over 16 for any service like bebo, facebook or myspace.
 
  • #24
Hey, that's neat. I went to Sherwood High School.
 
  • #25
Are you the kid, they are talking about? Poor child...
 
  • #26
I think parents sending their kids friend requests could be a good thing. I'm amazed at how oblivious some people are to the fact that they're broadcasting a lot more personal information about themselves to the entire world than is really wise (kids e-mailing semi-nude to nude pictures of each other taken with their cell phone back and forth, etc).

I think the idea of a person's parents seeing their facebook page might encourage a little common sense. Stupid things written (drunk postings, for example) don't disappear into the ether nearly as quickly as memories of stupid things done at a party disappear.
 
  • #27
When kids have to worry about what's on their Facebook page should their parents see it, I think they need to reconsider just what they're putting out in the public domain for others to see too. If you want the goings-on at wild parties to stay at those parties, don't post the photos online!

On the other hand, sometimes it has nothing to do with having things that would be embarrassing for others outside your social group to see as much as wanting to develop independence from your parents and not having them butting into your day-to-day social interactions, especially for adult children in college. There are a lot of us who entered college as fledglings, ready to find our wings and leave the nest, and never planning to return. Our parents did their job getting us to that stage, and we were ready to take it from there. Not all parents have as easy of a time accepting that their kids don't need them anymore.
 
  • #28
Moonbear said:
Not all parents have as easy of a time accepting that their kids don't need them anymore.
I'm waiting for the day (and looking forward to it) that I'm not needed. :biggrin:
 
  • #29
BobG said:
I think parents sending their kids friend requests could be a good thing. I'm amazed at how oblivious some people are to the fact that they're broadcasting a lot more personal information about themselves to the entire world than is really wise...

Forgetting about the bad behavior of older children for a moment...parents and grandparents need to consider the behavior of the predators when they post otherwise innocent depictions and personal information about loved ones. Pretty photos from a dance recital (think Jon-Bonet Ramsey) MIGHT encourage a predator to focus on an innocent child.
 

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