When I joined Facebook several years ago, it used to be only open to college students; you had to register with a college email address in order to be added to the list. As Facebook's popularity grew, it started to become less and less exclusive. Suddenly, the site started allowing high school students to join. Parents then joined to keep track of their children's Internet use, and then started networking with their own friends.
Enter the "Facebook Age."
Suddenly what used to be the place to post drunken pictures from last night's party or bemoan via status update about how you haven't yet begun the research paper due in 3 hours has to be censored. It's bad enough that you have to worry about Facebook being utilized as a background check service by a potential employer (or date). Now every post/picture/note must be scrutinized to determine what might happen if your parents saw it. As Brooks Adickman (love the last name!), co-founded of MyParentsJoinedFacebook.com said, "When parents start joining, the party's over."
My mother is one of those parents who has joined Facebook. And since we all know that social networking sites are essentially "casually stalking," she has become obsessed. The following incidents have occurred since she joined:
* She has friended my friends, college roommates, and ex-boyfriends.
* She comments on my status updates about how much she loves me.
* She discusses people’s Facebook updates with them the next time she sees them.
* She uses Facebook to keep abreast of town gossip: “Did you know that John & Sandy got engaged?… It’s on her Facebook!”
* She goes to family parties or social engagements and immediately asks "are you on FaceBook?...I'll friend request you when I get home!"
* While sorting through family photos, she finds embarrassing childhood pictures (luckily not of me), and scans them into her photo album.
* She has reunited with family on Facebook (not a negative)
* She inundates me with Farm Town, Farm Ville (did you know there are TWO identical programs?), and Pillow Fight requests..... NOTE: I abhor the Facebook applications. I miss the simpler days.
I find the above habits more amusing than annoying though. She’s a social person, and extremely family oriented, so she enjoys being able to connect with relatives spread all over the globe. She recently began conversing with a distant cousin in Greece, and now plans to fly my whole family over there to visit. SCORE!
So, dear Reader, do you have any similar stories to share? Rant, whine, laugh, cry, and commiserate with me.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Oh darling, my parents are on it too, they actually share an account. On Sunday afternoon I got a phone call from my mother asking me where she could find the pics from Saturday nights party.
Yeah. Awesome.
My mom has absolutely no idea of Facebook ettiquette. When Eeyore's godmother got divorced (the one I mentioned in my comment on the previous entry) my mother consoled her via FACEBOOK WALL. I had to explain to her that doing that was alot like sending condolences on the death of a parent via yelling it out your car window at the person instead of talking to them in private. Totally inappropriate!
My mom and dad are both on it. My mom is cool, but my dad (who is 10 years older than her) is just obnoxious. He will comment on a picture or a wall post that I have done about something completly unrelated. Like he commented on a picture asking me if I was coming home for my mom's birthday. What?? And he is major gushy with the I love yous, which is just awkward because we aren't that close in person. He also uses FB like twitter to post super obnoxious update.
I agree that FB was WAY better when it was just us college folk messing around. It has become pretty lame.
all my aunts have joined. It was a little weird at first, but one might my aunt and I had a deep convo on facebook chat, haha. So i guess it worked out.
But the day my parents join will probably make me sad. It's not because I post anything bad, but my dad just likes to ask a million questions and get really nosey, haha, so I would have to explain everything.
I also fondly remember when it was college students. The good ol days, haha.
Nice post!
I completely agree - Facebook was exponentially better when it was limited to college students and alumni.
My parents have also joined Facebook... however, I refuse to add them. I don't want them observing every post, picture, and message I send. It's my place to communicate with friends, not to the entire world, you know?
The other day, my Reverend from my church friended me. I don't have the heart to say no, but I certainly can't accept him as a friend either. Dang you, Facebook, for causing this dilemma!
My mom really hates computers! My dad is the same!
.....but my grandpa has FB now!!! It is really quite annoying. If I post a new pic he will comment "you are so beautiful, love you sis" (sis is what he calls me)
UGH IT MAKES ME WANT TO SCREAM. I feel like he is going to get deleted!
Yeah, my mom is on it too. She send me a friend request and I declined. Then I had to explain why to her. Gotta have boundaries.
Jossie-- I HATE the couple accounts. You know "John & Cathy Smith". I never know who is emailing me, and somehow I think it's because (perhaps not in your parents' case) that one cannot trust the other with their own account.
Christina-- My grandmother has facebook! Thank god she has no idea how to use it!
Post a Comment