By Aseem Mehta
The little blue square with the bold white ‘F’ printed through the middle has become a nearly ubiquitous icon for teens – it’s the logo for none other than our beloved Facebook. With over 60 million members, Facebook is the premier social networking tool on the Internet, and the one that the majority of high-schoolers like me flock to. It’s also that black hole that sucks in so many hours of our day, when we should have been doing something else. We all know the routine – log in, check your notifications, look at your News Feed and see what’s going on with that kid-you-met-once-for-five-minutes-a-year-and-a-half-ago. With Facebook’s widespread use, we are all friends. Or at least “friends” (quote, unquote). The problem arises when our “friends” start to become our “family” – or rather, your mom and dad.
A recent report by the American Academy of Pediatrics encouraged parents to join networking tools, like FaceBook, and insists on having access to kids’ social networking sites in order to keep them out of Internet trouble. This report is troubling to me: as I have mentioned before, parents need to establish a trust with their teens and not unnecessarily infringe on their privacy. But more importantly, Facebook is a unique tool, designed for members of our age group to connect and interact – not to be monitored and watched by parents.
Now don’t get me wrong – parents are more than entitled to create their own Facebook profile. For them, its serves as a means to connect with coworkers or old friends; clearly there is nothing wrong with that. And if while they are building their group of “friends,” their kids are part of the equation, that is totally fine. I mean, I am “friends” with my mom on Facebook. The only concern which I have is that the AAP report encourages parents to friend their teenage kids for the sole purpose of keeping tabs on them – to me, that is unacceptable. If parents are concerned about their kid’s Facebook use, or social behaviors, the proper outlet is to talk to them – not watch their every action on a networking site. So parents, I know you love to be friends with your kids, but think twice before you “friend” them.
Aseem Mehta is a Boston-area high schooler who is interested in studying about public health and economics. In his spare time he loves to discuss (and debate) politics and current events, and of course, sleep.
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