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One of the reasons I would hesitate in letting my children near Facebook until they're ~15+ is the enormous pressure it places on them to maintain a front that
by clicks 14y ago
One of the reasons I would hesitate in letting my children near Facebook until they're ~15+ is the enormous pressure it places on them to maintain a front that is completely free of any errors or embarrassments. This article talks about adults and how they struggle reconciling their online identity with their real sincere identity -- think how teenagers have struggles with their identity, and how precariously one mistake made risks being bombarded by ridicule by similarly aged peers. This is one of the reasons anonymity is so important -- we humans need a chance to explore and play with our identities without fear of failing and tarring our reputation. It's how we develop.
- chii 14y agothis is why you separate your online persona with your real life persona. Anything you do online is not tracible back to you, except by your very close friends (who should, if they are really your friends, not be judging you in any case). I don't understand why all these people who use their real names on facebook, and/or twitter. I can understand linkedIn (i myself am hesitant to put anything real on linkedIn).
- Nursie 14y agoBecause why not? Anything I post to facebook is of such little consequence that I honestly don't care if it's traced back to me or if the whole world knows. Sure I'd prefer to keep what I say on there to the friends I say it to, but I don't care that much and it's such mindless, esoteric fluff that it's really not an issue.
- sliverstorm 14y agoOn the other hand, maybe when you are a kid is the time to learn to curate that online presence. It doesn't seem like total anonymity is coming back any time soon.