By: Arielle From (University of Delaware)
After making a facebook page a few years back, my father decided to friend request me this past year, the year I left for college. At first, I thought it’d be okay to add him, but I quickly realized this type of thinking was naïve. The second I add him he has access to every detail of my life—my friends, our wall posts and comments, even those dreaded drunk pictures. So I rejected him as a friend. This went on a few months – him requesting me, me rejecting him and acting like the requests never went through – until finally one day, I decided to accept him. BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER. The moment we were facebook friends he told me I needed to teach him how to use this wonderful networking site. Here are some reasons I strongly urge you to reconsider teaching your father how to use facebook:
1. He will request to be your Facebook father.
Now this may not seem like the end of the world, but trust me, it is. After becoming your father, he has a direct link from his profile to yours, making it even easier to stalk you on a daily basis.
2. He will request to be your best friend’s Facebook father.
Yes, you read that correctly; he requested my best friend as a daughter. The way he sees it, she and I are “facebook official” (married) so he should welcome his “daughter-in-law” with open arms. Ridiculous, I know. So now not only does he have a direct link to my page on his own profile, he also has one to my best friend’s.
3. He can see those embarrassing photos from last night’s party.
You know the ones; those pictures you hardly remember taking and wish with every fiber of your being weren’t online. He can wake up to pictures of your beautiful drunk face dancing rather closely to that random awkward Asian girl, and begin to question your sexuality. After seeing these pictures, you will receive a call from home, or worse—a wall post!
4. He will write you embarrassing wall posts.
It’s bad enough he can see everything your friends write on your wall, but now he too will contribute.
5. He will like and comment on your friends’ wall posts and statuses.
When your best friend, you know, the one you’re married to who he claims as his daughter, writes “Can’t wait to do Jager Bombs this weekend!” on your wall, your dad will like it. He will then proceed to comment, “What are Jager Bombs? Hope you two have fun!” The irony is not lost on me.
6. Your friends will add him.
Because of that dreaded dad link on your profile, your friends will add him, thinking it’s funny. This leads to the vicious stalking cycle, and exploits your college lifestyle even more.
So when your father sends you a friend request, I suggest you do one of two things:
1. REJECT REJECT REJECT!!!
Or
2. Add him and put each privacy setting on custom with his name as the exception, this way he cannot view any posts or statuses or pictures other than his own.
