renaissance and knowing too many intimate things

Don't you think it's a bit creepy to belong to your daughter's network of friends in Facebook?

I do.

Do I really want to catch glimpses of who's she now friends with, the photos she selects to represent herself, her interests and relationships? As we recreate our identities online do we want our parents to see?

In the same way as I tried not to shut my ears or curl my toes as she told me about her first intimate sexual experiences I find myself both wanting and not wanting to know.

And, at the same time as I continue to swing between thinking that "no-one" and "everyone" in my universe is celebrating that they are part of the renaissance , I pause to rejoice in the wonderful insights I get into other worlds through her - and others' - windows.

Comments

[Nancy White]

My son allowed me to "friend" him on Facebook. I feel this polarity of wanting to be connected, but not wanting to know lots of stuff that I can see - of course with very little context - on his page.

But what thrills me is that as he grows out in to the world, we have developed a new type of closeness; more conversation; more informal "checking in" without making a big deal over things. This is beautiful.

[Bev Trayner]

Yes ... it's those snippets of conversations through sms, skype, msn that keep our stories connected between big moments of togetherness.