Monday, June 11, 2007

The Arrogance of Youth

If you’re a parent, keep in mind that you should know that you're too old and stupid the ‘get’ Facebook. At least that’s what I got out of some of the kids quoted in this post from the HuffPo. Poster Fernanda Diaz, a college student, asked friends how they would feel if their parents joined Facebook and tried to ‘friend’ them. While I can appreciate the privacy concerns many of them expressed, they also took the opportunity to proclaim their technological and social superiority. Look at these portions of some of the responses:
I always thought it was a little weird when parents had screen names or facebook accounts...don't they have better things to do, like bring home the bacon? - Amanda, 20

While I respect facebook's right as an emerging social -- and not just college student -- networking site, a parent is not a typical adult, and friending a child is almost an act of invasion…. Facebook, and the internet in general, is a new social atmosphere for our generation, and every generation deserves to have a social atmosphere with boundaries. - Kyle, 20

What's more, if parents join [Facebook] just to show how irreverent or playful they can be, that's even more sad. -Ian,
20

…if my father were to join Facebook, he would become a member of the "City of Seattle" work network, as well as the "Seattle, WA" network, but the redundancy would be lost on him after the five or six hours of grueling physical and emotional labor, such as flailing the mouse around, roaring at the computer, or giving it the silent treatment, that it took him to set the account up. -Chris, 19

i would be fine with my parents being on facebook if they would just learn to use text messaging.. - Tim, 21
Those are just the low-lights and there are some actual thoughtful comments I did not include. Still, It’s amazing how stupid these kids are in thinking parents are complete, uncool idiots. Too bad that in five to ten years they’ll be just a moronic in the eyes of the next generation of brats.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Quite honestly, I'm scared to death by this whole Internets thing.

These youngsters are light years ahead of oldtimers like you, and me - and deserve all the respect in the world for creating this age of the Internets.

Hats off to Generation Y!

Can anyone help me find the denture grip website?

JP

ThirtyWhat said...

LOL ... already had this conversation right in our livingroom.

Mr. ThirtyWhat was contemplating starting a blog a few weeks ago ... and said something along the lines of, "Maybe I should just get a Facebook page instead?"

College One wasn't condesending like some of the quotes you posted ... in fact, she knows he's very computer/internet literate ... but she basically said Facebook wasn't for parents.

We didn't take it personally though ... if she doesn't post on the Lipitor Forum then we won't log into Facebook ... :)

Anonymous said...

Excuse me, but isn't anyone else out here amused by anyone of any age simultaneously having an expectation of privacy on an Internet community and believing themselves to be technologically aware?