Facebook parents may drive kids crazy

What are the rules for parents on Facebook?

Santorum to visit Warren County
11:50 p.m.
Benefit dinner held for girl  who died in car accident
11:12 p.m.
Suburbs looking for ways to save, focus on regional issues
11:11 p.m.
Victim of human trafficking speaks to students
11:01 p.m.
Bullying law brings rule changes
10:04 p.m.
> More headlines

By Jim DeBrosse, Staff Writer Updated 9:54 PM Saturday, November 14, 2009

At the George homestead in Bellbrook, it’s not unusual to find mom Nancy and children Angie, Kelly and Tony all on their computers visiting Facebook and, within shouting distance, chatting online to each other.

“It’s so funny to read each other’s stuff because you’re writing it in the same house,” Nancy George said.

As Facebook’s popularity surges across the generations, a growing number of families here and nationally are using the social network to connect in new ways — and not just in their own households.

Parents are keeping closer tabs on children away at college. Grandparents are doting long-distance on the latest photos of the grandchildren. Distant cousins are no longer so distant.

And many teenagers, unhappy that Mom and Dad won’t leave them alone even in cyberspace, are posting their gripes on sites like “Oh Crap, My Parents Joined Facebook” (myparentsjoinedfacebook.com).

One of Amy Primeau’s young cousins “even went so far as to change her last name on Facebook so she couldn’t be found by her aunts or her parents,” the Middletown resident said.

With more than 300 million Americans now active on Facebook, users ages 18 to 25 are still the largest age group, but the fastest growth has been among those 35 and older. In fact, users 45 to 54 more than tripled in the first six months of 2009, according to market researchers at Inside Facebook.

Jeanie Heyd, 45, of Kettering said she joined Facebook to keep in touch with her two teenage sons and “see what kinds of things are on their minds” by viewing their chat and postings.

“Our phone never rings,” she said. “This is how these guys are doing all their communicating.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2437 or jdebrosse@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Share this article