In 2007, my son, who was away at college in Chile, enlightened me about Facebook and gave me his password so I could stay connected with him while I followed his adventures through Latin America.
Even though I saw him with friends drinking beer on the beach and hitchhiking in Peru, without this new thing called “Facebook,” I would have worried more about him.
My daughter is fond of sending “selfies” to me on most mornings that, no matter where I am, brighten my day and keep us connected.
A study released in 2013 by Brigham Young University said that parents who connect with their kids on Facebook and other social networks are likely to build a stronger connection with them in real life. These teens also have higher rates of “pro social behavior,” meaning they are more generous, kind, and helpful to others.
“Social networks give an intimate look at your teenager’s life,” Sarah Coyne, lead author of the study, said in a statement. “It lets parents know what their kids are going through, what their friends think is cool or fun, and helps them feel more connected to their child. It gives a nice little window into what is going on.”
Coyne said parents can build these connections by liking and leaving nice comments on their teens’ Facebook posts. She said this gives parents opportunities to show their support for their kids.
Of course, keeping an eye on your youngster’s social media pages is also important to keep them safe—it’s not being nosy.
But Facebook isn’t just about keeping track of your children. In 2008, my little sister Natasha and I became “friends” on Facebook, which was more important that it sounds. I didn’t grow up with Natasha; my parents were divorced when I was two. Natasha and her older siblings, Carmen and Fred, were my father’s children with his wife, Maria. We were not an extended family by any means, although Natasha was born on my 19th birthday.
“Happy birthday, twin!” she wrote on Facebook in 2009 a few months after we connected. From there, it’s been weekly posts and visits and family gatherings, something I am sure would not have happened without Facebook.
Since we travel so much, Facebook gives me—and my family and friends—the chance to share information and life stories. I’ve found out that people have passed away on Facebook (including my grandmother!) and that people have given birth and moved and married and divorced.
I’ve connected with cousins in the Netherlands, another in Tanzania, and our French daughter (exchange student) in Paris and with classmates from my time spent in Australia. I am also always looking for long-lost friends in hopes that we can reconnect.
This year, I became closer to cousins, nephews, a niece, and my aunt and uncle mostly because of Facebook, and our visits have given me a “new” family.
It’s not to say I don’t call my friends and family, but in the 21st century, life without Facebook just seems … silly.
I know many people take time off from the site—it is distracting—and others don’t check it very often, but those who are stubborn and say, “I’m not ever joining Facebook because it’s stupid” (or a waste of time or a pain in the butt) are missing out.
Of course, not everything appears as it really is on this social media site. I am famous for my photos of our travels, and often I get 50 or 60 “likes” for a photo. However, there are often stories I don’t share behind the photos. Even though it doesn’t seem like it to my 528 “friends,” I do keep some things private.
Sometimes people believe what they want to believe, and why ruin the facade?
Last New Year’s Day, we were living in Springdale, and I had been saving a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne for the first day of 2015. I convinced The Husband to leave the warm house, dress in a million layers, and head for Zion. Once there, we walked out toward the Virgin River under the watchful eye of Angel’s Landing and took photos of the bottle along with champagne glasses in the snow. I was freezing so much my teeth were chattering. The cork popped, and we poured the bubbly into the glasses and took a sip. I spit it out immediately. The champagne had turned to vinegar. We ran back to the car and cranked up the heater. “Happy New Year” indeed, but the image was so nice I hated to spoil everyone’s day. The photo garnered 340 “likes.”
I agree wholeheartedly