Meta description: Mothers need not be Facebook friends with their children, specifically teenagers, as they would have views/posts best suited for people of similar age.
As we all know, Facebook is one of the biggest social networking giants. Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook for Harvard students to use their “.edu” student email ID to connect with other college students. However, in September 2007, Facebook was available to everyone except kids aged below 13 years. This paved the way for students and everyone in the society who was interested in connecting with their near and dear ones to have a Facebook account.
While this was a boon to many, it came as a severe blow to privacy, especially for teenagers, the age when mothers are over-concerned about their children. At the age when a girl or a boy thrives for freedom of thought and speech, being friends with parents came across as an unwarranted indulgence in privacy.
Facebook as a Validating Tool
A mother’s love may cross unapproved frontiers if she becomes a friend on Facebook. Everyone, including prospective employers, universities, and friends, check Facebook posts to build a profile around a person. However, this is not required for a mother who knows her child quite well. Every photo, post, and shared views undergo scrutiny with your mother on your friend list. Considering that this scrutiny can happen 24 hours a day, it is sometimes difficult for a child to take. While the mother shows her basic motherly instinct, it may come across as an unpleasant behavior and even spark conflicts with the child.
Invasion of Privacy
Children who have grown up with social media would not imagine how the world existed without one. Moreover, children from the non-social-media days enjoyed all the fun that social media did not provide, whether passing secret notes to friends or whispers in the playground. They have done it all, and with absolute privacy. So how could children today not have their privacy in such matters, though it happens on social media sites like Facebook or any other platform?
For a mother, it may come across as weird not knowing every day in her child’s life, considering that she is in the habit of knowing minute details about her child. This does not mean that she can spy on her child’s Facebook profile, leave some awkward comments, or likes and subject the child to embarrassment in cyberspace. It is better to allow the child some privacy, allow them to tackle their issues themselves, and befriend them on Facebook or any other social media platform.
Helicopter Parenting
A mother who is close to a child from birth, unknowingly, tends to turn into a helicopter parent who closely examines every action of her child. Such excessive involvement in the child’s life will not just cripple the child but make the child dependent on the mother to tackle any hostile situation. To look at their child’s day-to-day activities, mothers snoop on their child’s Facebook posts to ensure that the child is not treading the wrong path or getting into bad company. A mother took to Facebook to punish her child for posting impolite comments in one instance. Instead, these parenting measures should be handled more carefully within the house’s four walls than in a public forum.
Posts from teenagers are best suited for their age group. Hence, they usually prefer to keep their Facebook discussions and gossip and may turn rebellious if mothers try to indulge and view their Facebook posts.
Conclusion
Technology has always been used to bring hearts together and not tear them apart. Change is the only constant thing in life. Likewise, parenting skills must change over time. Mothers have always been the epitome of selfless care and affection, and they constantly strive to protect their children from adversities in life. However, for teenagers, overindulgence in becoming Facebook friends and eavesdropping on their Facebook posts will not help children grow into independent and responsible adults. It is high time that mothers change from being protective caretakers to supportive coaches! Visit PlanetSpark to explore more related topics.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is it common for all teens to befriend their mothers on Facebook?
Not always. Some may add their mothers to their friend list. - How is a relationship impacted by the mother being a Facebook friend?
Sometimes children become rebellious and develop a conflicting relationship with their mothers. - What kind of parenting do teens prefer from their mothers?
A mother who is a supportive coach or friend, rather than a prying detective.
- What tactics do children use when they have their mother as their Facebook friend?
Children tweak their Facebook privacy settings to restrict certain aspects of their profile. - What is the risk of mothers insisting on being Facebook friends?
Children may hop on to other social media platforms to stay discreet.
