Comments on: Cootie Catchers Gone Wild

By: rjga

rjga — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:48:44 +0000

My young teens (12 & 14) have FB accounts on the rule that they MUST friend their parents. We have promised to never post or respond to any status updates, but we definitely watch.

By: becky up a hill

becky up a hill — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:09:04 +0000

You did good Jen.

By: Single Old Fogy

Single Old Fogy — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:16:47 +0000

Planet Guy is potentially scarier than you write. A conversation that would have once taken place between pals to or from school, on the phone, or in the back yard is spread virally. It is digital “Wilding.” (See Dictionary.com for a definition.)
Parents and nurturers have to be more diligent at enforcing the respect of another’s right to privacy and fair treatment with their young men and women. In this age those lofty concepts appear to have perilous little traction.

By: tommyboy

tommyboy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:36:04 +0000

What if FB friends are the only real friends you have?!

By: Gale

Gale — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:43:35 +0000

Thanks for this post. My son just turned one and my husband and I fully admit that we have no idea what kinds of communication gadgets or online media will be available to him as he enters adolscence. I appreciate that you demand online insight (and supervision) into your son’s online life. But I also appreciate that you accept that just because the medium is different than what we experienced as kids doesn’t mean that it’s doomed to be a disaster. Thanks again for your perspective.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:49:30 +0000

Great topic, Jennifer. I have a friend (a Facebook friend, not a real friend, as you aptly pointed out the difference) who CONSTANTLY denigrates his workplace and his boss on Facebook. And trust me, he has MANY coworkers who read his Status Updates. Everyone agrees it’s just about the stupidest thing one could do, and he’s nearly 30. It just goes to show that even adults are capable of Facebook missteps.

That conversation at the end of your post is great — you know that if two girls had been involved things wouldn’t have gone so “smoothly.”