Add as Friend?
So, you've been a fan of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace.
Great!
You're Mom and Dad are too.
"Wait. What?"
Yeah, they are jumping on the bandwagon and joining you on all your online journeys, for better or worse.
"I don't want the 'rents seeing what I post on so and so's wall."
Okay, well, you don't have to let them. Just don't add them as a friend, or let them follow you.
"But, won't they be suspicious then? They'll wonder why I don't add them as a friend or let them follow me. They'll think I'm up to no good."
Are you?
"I might be. That's my privacy though."
True, everyone should be entitled to their own privacy. Might as well let them read your email too, right?
"No way."
What are we to do about it?
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Facebook was founded as a way for college students to make their own online networks. Groups of students come together online, follow what each is doing, stay up to date with personal news, include only those you choose to include.
Then they opened up to high school students. Grumblings about the inclusion ensued but college students accepted it, reluctantly. They had no choice.
Finally, the site was opened up to the general public. Whoa! Now everyone can join. My college experience may not be a secret anymore. Now what? What do I say to Mom and Dad at Thanksgiving when they bring up my underage drinking binge I went on with Johnny Alcoholic last weekend?
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Someone I know, personally, decided to post about a party they attended. Sounds harmless on the surface, right? Well, they were underage drinking. Ouch. That's not enough though. They left to go drinking while leaving their new infant at home with Mom and Dad, A.K.A. the grandparents.
After the posting, said drinker got a request from Mom to Add as Friend. Immediately, drinker deleted the post about the party, and possibly any other unsightly posts, before adding Mom as a friend. That's one way to do it, but now drinker will have to be careful what they post, lest mother finds out.
I am in no way condoning what drinker did, but where's the privacy? That's no way to have a social life. If drinker didn't add Mom as friend, what then? What kind of conversation might have taken place? Not a good one, that's for sure. Remember, I know them personally, and I know what would have been said.
No doubt there are millions of others going through the same. What's the point of continuing a social networking site if you can't be social on your own terms?
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Those with nothing to hide are safe and probably haven't complained in the least about adding an authoritative family member to their friends list. Are you one of those few?
To Add as Friend, or not Add as Friend? That is the question.
Do YOU need to ask it?
Posted by Matthew M. Zeller at 06:00 PM | Permalink
8th CICS weblog. Thus, my minimum requirements have been met.
