Is being ‘facebook friends’ with your young adult child too much information?
Monday, May 12th, 2014Cyber Safety for Kids and Families with Joanna and Jodie on 103.9FM The Fish Family Morning Show
A recent Mother’s Day headline features five reasons to be friends with your mom on Facebook. The article basically argues that it is a good thing to “friend” your mom because Facebook moms are cool, after all they are using social media. And they want to know what is happening in your life and enjoying looking at the pictures of friends and what’s happening in your world. Also she worries so she needs to be informed, and most importantly you never call her anyway and it’s cheaper than a plane ticket. So why not?
Related reading: Redefining parental control as self control
This article inspires questions for me, as a mom of two grown sons: Are we moms too needy? Are we having a hard time letting our children go? Do we still feel the urge to micromanage and counsel our young adult children?
Five healthy reasons to be friends with your mom on Facebook
- You have nothing to hide. She trained you well to understand there is not any privacy in the cyber realm, so everything you post would make her proud.
- Your mom can be trusted to not interfere with your personal life. She is not posting comments about your status and asking questions out of worry and a need to “help” you fix your life. She will not offer opinions or advice unless you ask for it.
- Your mom maintains privacy standards regarding what she posts on her wall about being “your mom”.
- She does not try to be cool and solicit likes from your friends on line.
- She has her own life and interests that she shares on line so you can be well informed about her well being and personal growth.
(BMB-00115)

Joanna Jullien
(Photo: Christi Benz)
Joanna Jullien is an author, educator and speaker on strengthening the parent-child relationship in a cyber powered world. She is a mother of two grown sons, the author of The Authority In Me: The Power of Family Life in the Network Culture, produces The Sacramento Cyber Safety Examiner column on Examiner.com, and is the CyberParenting advisor on The Fish 103.9FM. Her new book, A Google World in the Garden of Eden: Five Family-Safe Strategies for Texting and Social Media is now available for PC and all eReader formats including Kindle, Nook, iPad.
- Follow Joanna @CyberParenting
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- Email: Jullien@surewest.net
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Jodie Stevens, hostess of The Fish Family Morning Show 103.9FM started a blog called, Genuine Life with Jodie Stevens
Jodie Stevens, hostess of The Fish Family Morning Show on 103.9FM The Fish offers insights and lessons learned about leading an abundant life through your personal faith and recovery from addiction. Check out her blog, Genuine Life with Jodie Stevens, weekday mornings on the Family Morning Show.