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Social Media: The Tool Parents Love to Hate

I just submitted a position paper on social media and teens.

And wow, did it bring me back. My friends and I were on the "cutting edge" of social media in high school. In 1997 or 1998, we had our AIM screen names and we were constantly logged on. (If you had dial-up, you were SOL with the away message.) Everyone knew your regular screen name, only the CHOSEN FEW knew your secret screen name, that you used when you were super busy or not in the "mood" to talk with anyone (but secretly, you were).

It brought me back to my dad, saying "GET OFF THAT IMPERSONAL FORM OF COMMUNICATION!" And me responding that it actually was super personal, since I was chatting with my *friends.*

It brought me back to getting random AIM messages that solely said "a/s/l" and me responding "Wow, you can't even say HI? Why would I want to talk to YOU." (It truly was the Wild West, and I was ready to fire away like Annie Oakley.) And God help someone if they just IM'ed with "are you hot." Cue feminist diatribe.

I read in danah boyd's It's Complicated: the social lives of networked teens - Teens often want to be with friends on their own terms, without adult supervision, and in public.

 That brought me back to quickly typing "POS POS POS" when my parents showed up...POS clearly meant "parent over shoulder." Let's be honest. I'm sure there was nothing interesting going on there that my parents would be interested in reading!

 Thanks to various social media platforms, I've found jobs (three of them); apartments and roommates (two of them); a husband (one of them); and even a best friend. We met through a friend meetup site, which is actually a VERY awkward story to tell people.

 I'll have to keep all these benefits in mind when my precious 3 year old and 1 year old are at the social media age. Because I KNOW I will be tempted to lock it alllllll down. Perhaps I should buy danah boyd's book and keep it ready on the shelf. Because, often, the biggest demons are the ones in our own heads.
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