I am friends with my mom on facebook and I've run into the same sorts of things as your brother. I actually had to block her from my Twitter. Then there's the whole matter of my husband's bosses boss AND HIS WIFE friending me on facebook. Obviously, I can't deny these requests, but it certainly has made me use it far less (hardly at all) and in a much more formal way than I would Twitter, for example. I connect with far more people on other social networks. There is also the big brother factor that has always bothered me about facebook, it's the idea that they have the world's largest & complete database. Then there's the odd friend requests-boyfriends from grade school who are married with four kids-do we really need to be friends when we haven't spoken since we were 13 and have zero interests in common? I don't think so. lol
I am friends with my mother, a family friend who feels like a second mother, one of my Aunts and my cousins, who I'm not very close with. I have also added some of my teachers, granted it's not every teacher I have ever had. Mainly the ones that I feel really impacted my life and would gladly go get a coffee with anytime. At first I logged onto my mother's account and hid myself from her but now I don't really feel I needed to do that. My mother does not stare at my profile all day and I realize I am very forward anyways so seeing it on Facebook doesn't really infringe on my privacy. My parents aren't very strict, they know what I do. The only person I have not added is one of my Aunts because she does not approve of tattoos and believes every person with one is "a delinquent or a whore". It gets annoying when she constantly comments "oh god I can't believe you did that to yourself, you look horrible". I think adding your family could be just as if you're adding another friend. However I don't have one of those mother's who comments on every status, picture and link so maybe I'm just in a fortunate situation.
I am too really really open with my mom and dad. I figure the same thing, if i'm completely honest than they trust me more. Which they do. I also get into less trouble if i'm straight with them about what i've done because they appreciate that I know that I can come to them to talk about it.
I am friends with any family member who adds me. I used to block them from seeing my posts but then for some reason I decided to unblock them. Now whenever I want to rant about something or post something that I might regret later it stops me because I know that one of my family members is reading what I'm posting. It's actually made me more mature. I don't post BAHH I HATE YOU anymore or funny sexual status updates intended for my friends because I know my aunt is a friend and she could tell my grandma who is a conservative and loves me more than anything. So I don't really care who requests me anymore. I add them and either block them If i don't want them to see certain things or just ignore them if they say anything that bugs me. Usually if someone bugs me over and over again though I block them because it's just a site and I don't want to feel annoyed or angry every time I go on there.
Facebook has actually become an official method of communication for the majority of people it seems, for friends and family. I used to use it quite regularly until I experienced the negatives of it in that someone threatened me about something they didn't fully understand. Also I noticed it became a way to hint at people and cause trouble and ever since I've only used it for communicating/staying in touch with friends and organising events. When it comes to family on facebook, I mainly keep it to my friends and associations. My family are all quite well in touch over the phone, some are a bit too well in touch and would use or have used facebook as well as my mum to see what me and my sister have been up to which can feel quite invasive and they can be quite judgemental. Therefore I tend not to have my aunts, mum etc. on facebook because I don't want all of them knowing and judging everything to do with my social life. ^_^
Im friends with my brother n 2-3 teachers on Facebook. My parents don't even have an account....but if they did...i wouldn't mind adding them. Im also very honest to my mom and nothing i do or have done is hidden from her....like you said...its the groundwork to build trust. When nothing is hidden...life just gets easy, doesn't it? Facebook has become a link to all people i once knew or now know....like right now...im stuck at home but i know what my friends are up to....messages...and status updates....and the whole facade. Also...im not a phone person...so it just helps to keep in touch with friends so i wont be lectured the next time they see me.. :p
I'm friends with my mom and my dad does not use it... I already tell my parents everything I tell my friends, and the other way around, unless it is unnecessary for them to know... It is never because I don't want them to, it is more that I don't see the point in telling them.
I've always had a really open relationship with my parents, but I'm not always good at telling them stuff, like for example if I'm sad about something. Facebook actually helped with that, because I would tell one of my good friends on facebook and then if my mom wanted to know I would tell her to go look at that conversation I had earlier with my friend.
And normally it would probably bother people that everyone could read why they were sad for example, but to me that has never really mattered because people who don't know me don't care, and the people who are closest to me, would react to that instead of me telling the same story over and over again to different friends.
It is okay for people to not wan't family added on their facebook, because not every family has the same amount of openness in their internal relationships, but mine has plenty, therefore I don't mind having my mom added as a friend on facebook. Or anywhere ells for that matter :) (I love my mom :D )
At first I logged onto my mother's account and hid myself from her but now I don't really feel I needed to do that. My mother does not stare at my profile all day and I realize I am very forward anyways so seeing it on Facebook doesn't really infringe on my privacy. My parents aren't very strict, they know what I do.
The only person I have not added is one of my Aunts because she does not approve of tattoos and believes every person with one is "a delinquent or a whore". It gets annoying when she constantly comments "oh god I can't believe you did that to yourself, you look horrible".
I think adding your family could be just as if you're adding another friend. However I don't have one of those mother's who comments on every status, picture and link so maybe I'm just in a fortunate situation.
I am friends with any family member who adds me. I used to block them from seeing my posts but then for some reason I decided to unblock them. Now whenever I want to rant about something or post something that I might regret later it stops me because I know that one of my family members is reading what I'm posting. It's actually made me more mature. I don't post BAHH I HATE YOU anymore or funny sexual status updates intended for my friends because I know my aunt is a friend and she could tell my grandma who is a conservative and loves me more than anything. So I don't really care who requests me anymore. I add them and either block them If i don't want them to see certain things or just ignore them if they say anything that bugs me. Usually if someone bugs me over and over again though I block them because it's just a site and I don't want to feel annoyed or angry every time I go on there.
When it comes to family on facebook, I mainly keep it to my friends and associations. My family are all quite well in touch over the phone, some are a bit too well in touch and would use or have used facebook as well as my mum to see what me and my sister have been up to which can feel quite invasive and they can be quite judgemental. Therefore I tend not to have my aunts, mum etc. on facebook because I don't want all of them knowing and judging everything to do with my social life. ^_^
Facebook has become a link to all people i once knew or now know....like right now...im stuck at home but i know what my friends are up to....messages...and status updates....and the whole facade. Also...im not a phone person...so it just helps to keep in touch with friends so i wont be lectured the next time they see me.. :p
I already tell my parents everything I tell my friends, and the other way around, unless it is unnecessary for them to know... It is never because I don't want them to, it is more that I don't see the point in telling them.
I've always had a really open relationship with my parents, but I'm not always good at telling them stuff, like for example if I'm sad about something.
Facebook actually helped with that, because I would tell one of my good friends on facebook and then if my mom wanted to know I would tell her to go look at that conversation I had earlier with my friend.
And normally it would probably bother people that everyone could read why they were sad for example, but to me that has never really mattered because people who don't know me don't care, and the people who are closest to me, would react to that instead of me telling the same story over and over again to different friends.
It is okay for people to not wan't family added on their facebook, because not every family has the same amount of openness in their internal relationships, but mine has plenty, therefore I don't mind having my mom added as a friend on facebook. Or anywhere ells for that matter :) (I love my mom :D )