OMG! Parents on Facebook
The posts on Facebook read like this:
“My mom tried to add me on Facebook today and I had to deny my own flesh and blood. You’d have done the same.”
Parents are joining Facebook by the thousands hoping to get a glimpse into their kids social lives and, perhaps, to reignite their own.
Back in the day, Facebook was just a small gathering place for college kids. No one had access to the social networking site without a university email address.
Times have changed.
Facebook has opened its virtual doors to everyone - even, OMG, the 50 and over crowd. Parents are now joining Facebook by the thousands. In fact, older adults account for 9% of the Facebook demographic in 2007 - and the numbers are growing.
If you’re one of those kids who is still reeling from seeing their parents pop up online, take comfort in knowing you’re not alone.
Several Facebook support groups have popped up in the past year, including the 709-member “And then my Mom joined Facebook” group, organized by “The Bureau of Endangered Generation Gaps” and featuring such discussion topics as “Should I Friend My Mom?”
But, seriously, this isn’t just about the kids.
Some parents get on Facebook to reconnect with old friends. Many even join for work-related reasons; some employers insist on having an online presence in social networks.
Yes folks, we live in world where parents AND teens can trade pokes and karma points on Facebook.
How fabulous.
November 13th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Funny…I just wrote a post about “Facebook Dating” today. In it, I talk about the fact that I actually feel better about how my teenagers use social media now that I’ve begun using it. That’s not to say I use Facebook as a social tool the way my kids do…it’s just to say that when you use the tools you aren’t as “afraid” of their use. Most older parents don’t understand how Facebook or texting can take the place of an actual date or phone conversation. I get it now. That’s worth something.
November 13th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
[...] OMG! Parents on Facebook [...]
November 13th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
My son got me on Facebook, but he’s not my “friend”. Our kids can relax - I’m not going to stalk them. I’ve got my own “friends”