Although my parents are not social media fanatics like some
older people I know. But I do see a number of my friends parents who are very
much engaged in social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram. They do occasionally
post photos of themselves and their family on Facebook but as I saw their
activities online I have realized that they seem to have a steady social media
routine.
First on the list, is their sort of natural instinct to basically “like” all of their kid’s photos and posts. Whether it be a food photograph or a humdrum matter about a lazy afternoon siesta, they will like and sometimes even comment on the subject matter. I asked my mom why she wasn't like that to me on social media and her reply was “I don’t want people to think that only your mother can appreciate your existence and I for one am busy with my own social media life too.” This frequent "like" practice is a tad tolerable for me but I do have the same sentiment as my mom when I say that “overly liking each and every post” of your kid is a bit unnatural and parents should remember that too much ego stroking is not good for kids (and adults even).
Second, they love to repost quotable quotes about their awesome daughter or son. I have seen a handful of these quotable quotes online with butterflies, stars and rainbows as background and then they’ll tag their child to that quotable quote photo. This may be their way of showing love and support for their child, which is quite heart warming really, when done on infrequent occasions where it will be genuinely taken by their friends as a gesture of appreciation. But when this practice is done like clockwork on a weekly basis then the genuineness fades away.
Lastly, this activity may be because of their limited entertainment know how
online that is why they are easily transfixed on Facebook games such as Kitchen
Scramble, Bubble Island and Diamond Dash. They tend to send out a number of game invites to all of their Facebook
friends. I for one am not a fan of getting game invites on my notifications
board. So I think, this activity should be shared with their own gaming crowd
alone.
Dont get me wrong, I still think it is nice to have parents on board the social media sphere these days, so that they can look out for the safety of their kids and be wary of predators that are frequently hunting for kids online. But they should also keep in mind that it is important for them to ease up on stroking their kid’s ego online. They should let their kids have some social media space every once in a while.
First on the list, is their sort of natural instinct to basically “like” all of their kid’s photos and posts. Whether it be a food photograph or a humdrum matter about a lazy afternoon siesta, they will like and sometimes even comment on the subject matter. I asked my mom why she wasn't like that to me on social media and her reply was “I don’t want people to think that only your mother can appreciate your existence and I for one am busy with my own social media life too.” This frequent "like" practice is a tad tolerable for me but I do have the same sentiment as my mom when I say that “overly liking each and every post” of your kid is a bit unnatural and parents should remember that too much ego stroking is not good for kids (and adults even).
Second, they love to repost quotable quotes about their awesome daughter or son. I have seen a handful of these quotable quotes online with butterflies, stars and rainbows as background and then they’ll tag their child to that quotable quote photo. This may be their way of showing love and support for their child, which is quite heart warming really, when done on infrequent occasions where it will be genuinely taken by their friends as a gesture of appreciation. But when this practice is done like clockwork on a weekly basis then the genuineness fades away.
Dont get me wrong, I still think it is nice to have parents on board the social media sphere these days, so that they can look out for the safety of their kids and be wary of predators that are frequently hunting for kids online. But they should also keep in mind that it is important for them to ease up on stroking their kid’s ego online. They should let their kids have some social media space every once in a while.
