Where do you draw the line with family, on the internet?

[MikeW]

Ugh.

Where do I begin? Lol.

Im talking about family members being on, and wanting to be friends with you on, Facebook, Myspace, YahooIM/AIM/MSN, etc.

My brother and sister are both on IMers and Facebook. Im also friends with one of my uncles, my aunt and her husband on Facebook.

My mom used to have like 3 different Facebooks but she couldnt decide between the 3 and she said some guy she went to school with was stalking her.

Well, now my grandmother--Yes, that's right, my 67 year old grandmother--is trying to friend me on Facebook and YahooIM.

I love her and i'll give her credit for even getting on the computer and getting out in the World Wide Web, but i think she's too old for it, and it's only going to get her in trouble. She's already had scammer issues and now she's friending me, my brother and other family members and i(/we) dont know how to go about telling her that she needs to just give it up.

Ive been saying it for awhile now; "Old people and the internet do NOT mix."

She likes to shop via catalog and she dabbles in a little internet buying, but that needs to be the extent of her computer usage, lol. She also has a Yahoo email address and she still has trouble with that. I, and other family members have gotten emails, from her, to specific people, that she hit "Send to All" on so everyone got this otherwise, personal, email, lol.

Im not trying to rant or vent, but does anyone else have this issue? Like i mentioned earlier, i dont mind my brother/sister. The occassional cool uncle or something, maybe my mom, that's fine, but grandma? Where do you draw the line?

[[sLow]CB]

im sorry. but thats funny.

but seriously i dont think you can draw any lines. if they wanna use the internet its really only up to them.

honestly i think thats weird though. i mean grandma? dam. my 50 year old dad doesnt even know how to use the computer. and i think thats normal.

[MikeW]

I dont mean stop her from using it, i mean how do you say, politely, "Look..you're too old to understand any of this and you're only going to end up getting yourself or other people, in trouble.."

Like i said, i give her props for learning how to use email and all that and how to shop online, but she's gotten bored and curious and now it's getting out of control, lol.

[[sLow]CB]

i see what you mean. i guess theres no polite way to say it then. just tell her straight up. if she doesnt like it or cares thats her problem. i know its family but to each their own opinion. the least you can do is warn her about the internet and just to be carefull about it.

[F22HB]

Just leave the friend request dangling in the interwebs. Next time you see her just be like... umm what friend request? I think you did it wrong. hah

[WilliamW]

Well, unfortunately there are NO lines when it comes to the internet. Take these examples:



and



and




I think having your grandma friend you on facebook is the least of your worries, or hers. Just don't go introducing her to Furries or anything.

[92vig]

I have a Facebook. I dont use it. I have a Myspace. I dont use it. I have requests from my grandma and sisters still waiting to be accepted on Faceboook but I dont ever get on...

My grandma is always on Farmville now. SO much so that my grandpa bought a fucking laptop so he could use the internet. He doesnt do Facebook though. My wife is friends with my aunt, grandma, mom and dad...as well as her parents and grandma's. I dont get it. Never have never will.

[Bongo]

I deleted my Facebook, Myspace, and AIM partly for this reason. The women in my family seem to LOVE to gossip about the rest of the family so when I had accounts they'd update my mom, sisters, nephews, aunts, dad, etc on anything that was sent to me or said by me. I had to explain why I looked so messed up in some pics, exactly what I was doing who I was with etc. Fuck that shit. I deleted them all as friends and waited but they were all douches about it after I "broke it to them" so I said fuck it n deleted all my accounts. They're gunna be one of the downfalls of this planet anyways so I'm happy to not be using them anymore. So I totally get what you're saying man.

[Night Wolf]

I always found it weird when people have their moms/dads on FB LoL

[Tippey764]

My 51 year old mother has a face book

I dont.

[Makaveli2k]

Grandma ain't ready for some of my comments.

[MikeW]

I here ya. I started using facebook to keep in touch with my friends. I could say stuff like "Just took a huge shit...now I feel better" or "why are woman that shop at Target always fuckin' HOT!"

Now I'm friends with my sisters, aunt, brother's girlfriend. I have to go through and delete all the bad stuff so they don't go back and see it. Now I say stuff like "It's cold and rainy" or "I'm full".

I didnt have that problem too often. Id still say what i wanted anyway. What're they gonna do, tell your mom on you?

I always found it weird when people have their moms/dads on FB LoL

So did i.

well being friends on facebook with my sisters has helped me keep in touch with them. Before I would talk to 'em maybe twice a year but now It's cool that they know what's going on in my life.

Thats the way I am. My sister lives 1000 miles away so i use it keep up with her.

[J-specCb4]

i say some shit on facebook im not ok with my whole family reading.... therefore i told my family that facebook aint big enough for the both of us....

[deevergote]

I have some family members as friends on Facebook. Ones that i talk to maybe once a year otherwise, so it's nice to keep in touch.

My mom keeps saying she needs to get on there... but I'm not sure I want that. Not that I have anything to hide from my mother (I'm 30 years old... what I do is my business!), and I'm USUALLY smart enough not to say something on there that would embarrass me... but still. I'd prefer if my mom didn't have access to all that stuff. It's like having your mom poking around in your room when you're a teenager... just not cool.

[ric3rboi23]

my grandma added me on facebook, read my about me or whatever the fuck it is below your picture, and told my mom to get me to a doctor to see about anti-depressants. fuck.

my entire family is on my facebook and now i cant say what i want anymore.

and i just ignored my dad who tried to add me on skype the other day.