My kids' friends are on Twitter...weird? creepy?
My kids (who are teens) think I'm totally lame for being on twitter (like I care). But they tell me they have high school friends on twitter too! And they've told them I'm there also, though not by @name...still, I want to run and hide...takes all the fun out of complaining about those snarky kids if I'm found out!
How would you feel, or have you run into this? It's not like facebook where you have to be a friend to see what is said...no privacy. Even if they don't follow you, they can read what you write! ps. I have no idea who they @are and don't want to!!
How would you feel, or have you run into this? It's not like facebook where you have to be a friend to see what is said...no privacy. Even if they don't follow you, they can read what you write! ps. I have no idea who they @are and don't want to!!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lisa Survillas on -
don't worry about it. keep names out of your posts and you should be fine. chances are they don't want to find you either. but with your kids knowing you are on there, they will probably more reserved with what they post so as not to get into any trouble with mom. and quite frankly, if you are complaining about their friends and the friends see it, maybe they will understand what the problem is and it could get fixed without you even having to address them...could be a good thing!!
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Permalink Reply by Linda Sellers on -
hehee, good point!
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Permalink Reply by Megan Calhoun on -
Building on Lisa's point, I actually think the LACK of privacy on twitter actually keeps everyone more accountable for their actions. What you say is on the record.
Ironic? Yes. But put yourself in your teen's shoes. How much fun is Twitter really, if it's an open channel of communication?
As a mom, private messaging systems are scarier, I think.
I'd suggest making your teens aware of the fact that twitter is an open conversation. That might diminish their interest in twitter altogether. Open conversations aren't fun to a teen -- that's why God invented slammed bedroom doors, bathrooms, text messaging and Myspace.
Show your teens http://search.twitter.com and let them know that moms can hear everything they say. Choosing twitter as a means of clandestine teenager communication is about as smart as signing Gary Busey host your next Tupperware party. ;^)
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Permalink Reply by Megan Calhoun on
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Great point, thank you Michelle!
MichellePotter said:If you want, you can always protect your account so no one can see your Tweets unless you approve them to follow you.
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Permalink Reply by Ellen on -
Funny, I was just sitting by a couple on the plane on the way back from BWE08 telling them how cool it would be to follow you teens and college students on twitter to know how they're doing...not to snoop. Seemed like you'd know their safe and feel like your not so distant. I kind of pictured it to be reciprocal. I don't have a teen yet so I guess I wasn't thinking about the snarky comment thing (and I AM guilty of that for sure).
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Permalink Reply by Megan Calhoun on
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Again, it's a conundrum! Twitter could be GREAT for following kids, their whereabouts, interests, etc. I mean we all love twitter, right? But Linda brings up an interesting point here: the snark factor.
Ellen said:Funny, I was just sitting by a couple on the plane on the way back from BWE08 telling them how cool it would be to follow your teens and college students on twitter to know how they're doing...not to snoop. Seemed like you'd know their safe and feel like your not so distant. I kind of pictured it to be reciprocal. I don't have a teen yet so I guess I wasn't thinking about the snarky comment thing (and I AM guilty of that for sure).
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Permalink Reply by aliceayel on -
I totally agree with Megan... Twitter is actually more fun because it is open to everyone. Facebook is just about chatting to your old friends. With twitter you get to meet people from all over the world and find twittermoms for example! And as for your children, they can see how great you are ;)
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Permalink Reply by Joede on -
I put my soon to be 14 year old son on Twitter. (@LeShon) We use it to keep in touch (I was lost at a recent Obama rally and he had to find me) and to talk. He talks to a couple of other teens as well. They understand it's open and all they do is talk football, basketball, oh, yeah and the Red Sox.
I have complained about my own son and even yelled at him through Twitter. (Insert evil mommy smile here). I complain about my son's friends to their faces if needed. (If I can't say it to you, I'm not going to say it behind you). But that is probably a whole other discussion! lol
I honestly wouldn't worry about it.
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Permalink Reply by JennK on -
To look at this from a different perspective, would you want your mother reading your tweets? Mine just started following me, and it does change what I post. Not a lot and not that I provided TMI before she came on, but I do look at my tweets through a different lens now.
Does having your teens following you make Twitter a tool (albeit a very passive-aggressive one) in the parenting arsenal? I could see parents snarking on their kids just so they'd see the posts and maybe get a clue sometimes.
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Permalink Reply by Linda Sellers on
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I don't really want to go private because I want people to find me and not feel intimidated to follow. But I may remove the city and state (although I liked having that so people could find me locally) I don't name kids' names for obvious reasons. I just want to complain about mine...it's what I do best!
JennK said:To look at this from a different perspective, would you want your mother reading your tweets? Mine just started following me, and it does change what I post. Not a lot and not that I provided TMI before she came on, but I do look at my tweets through a different lens now.
Does having your teens following you make Twitter a tool (albeit a very passive-aggressive one) in the parenting arsenal? I could see parents snarking on their kids just so they'd see the posts and maybe get a clue sometimes.
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Permalink Reply by Kristen Andrews: Featured Contributor of Style on -
that is kinda creepy, I guess it isn't just for Mom Bloggers he he
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Permalink Reply by Angela Moore on -
My kids are toddlers, so it would be EXTREMELY odd for them a have a Twitter account. However, my mother did friend me on Facebook. Then she poked me (I had to explain to her that this was online flirting and it she shouldn't do it again). Now THAT was weird.
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