Parentals in my Social Network

Warning: Opinions may seem offensive to those who spy on their kids by using their blogs and social networking sites.

Ok, so I always get halfway through an entry before I blank out, and this time I’ve got a winner. Today’s entry, long coming, is about parents and social networking sites. Typical college girl thoughts and worries, though I’m not too worried about these things. I know there are others who have concerns and this post has been begging me to type it. So here goes.

Parentals, or the ‘rents as I like to call them, have noticed their kids on social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace. I know there are others, but those two are the two that entered my mind first, mainly because I have accounts on both. You can’t blame them for being curious and somewhat concerned about who their babies are talking to online. There are horror stories about kidnappings, rapes, and attacks. So I can see parents wanting to know about their children’s online habits and wanting to keep track of who they are ‘networking’ with. Safety is a big concern, and I appreciate that. However, there are some limits.

Like I said earlier, I have no problem with parents keeping up with who their kids talk to online, and I think that it is important to talk to your kids about internet safety. But I also think that spying on your kids by joining their social network site is wrong. Joining the site they use to blog in order to read said blog is wrong too. If it is set to friends only or set so the blog can only be read by users on the site, then joining the site to read their blog is essentially like reading their diary. Those entries may be posted online, but they are not posted for you to read. If your kid wanted you to read it then they would have given you the site and told you that you could read it.  That may sound stupid, but deliberately seeking out your child’s blog to spy is wrong.

Joining Facebook or Myspace to see what your kid is doing is wrong as well. If you want to know ask them; if you suspect them of lying, call their bluff. Don’t join and add their friends so that you can look at pictures and see what they are up to. It’s creepy. You shouldn’t be stalking your kids online to find out about them, you should be talking to them face to face about it. I know for certain that I would be freaked out if I found my mother had joined Myspace or Facebook and was checking up on me, not that there is much to see, but still. Honestly when I discovered that one of my family members was looking at my Myspace page I made it private for a while. It became public again when she lost interest. it’s my place on the web to talk, and therefore I want you to stop using it to spy.

I’m not saying older generations can’t be on Myspace and Facebook, especially as Facebook has become so open; I’m just saying stop being a spy. Feel free to create a profile and stuff, have fun with it, but don’t stalk your kids. Be an adult and ask them about things. Talk to your kids about what they are doing, who they talk to online, and call their bluff on their lies. If you think you son is drinking, ask him, don’t jump on Facebook or Myspace and hunt down pictures of him drinking. If you think your daughter is sneaking out, then confront her, don’t wait until the day after and check her websites to see if she talked about it and did it. If you have an interest in your son or daughter’s life and plans, talk to them, don’t read their blog. Be an adult and don’t spy.

So that’s my blog for the night. Like it or not, those were my opinions on the subject at hand. Lucky is now signing off.

Quote of the Day: “The hardest part of life
Is to live while you’re alive my friend
So sing an unwritten song
Or repent for the deeds you left undone”
-Here and Now, by Great Big Sea