OT: Modern Version of "Going Steady"

[cohenzone]

When I was in high school, the sign of going steady was the guy gave the girl his class ring to hang on a necklace. I guess that's by the boards (probably has been for half a century). My nephew, who lives with us and is soon to be off to college, has had a very steady girlfriend for nine months, and she is also going to the same college (3 weeks away now, yippee). So, the way they announced to the world they were going steady was by stating on Facebook that they are "In a Relationship". So this week, they broke up, a break up lasting approximately an hour and a half, during which time they removed from Facebook their "In a Relationship" status (causing 8 females to immediately enter a "like" on my nephew's page because he is quite handsome and considered "cool").

Since the breakup and rapid reconciliation, the relationship so far as I can tell is hotter than ever. But the Facebook page remains as revised. So I asked my nephew if he was back in his "relationship". He said, "no , it's not in Facebook". So I guess that means I don't need to cough or whistle anymore when I come toward the room they are hanging in. BTW, the break up was some stupid idea of my nephew's, and with them about to be in the same dorm complex in college. Stupid both because he thought it would simplify things going off to college (different colleges I can understand) and because his girlfriend is very bright and exceptionally gorgeous and nice, and insanely in love with the brat. Now that doesn't mean he has to love her, but indifferent he isn't.

 

[mets1090]

Since the breakup and rapid reconciliation, the relationship so far as I can tell is hotter than ever. But the Facebook page remains as revised. So I asked my nephew if he was back in his "relationship". He said, "no , it's not in Facebook". So I guess that means I don't need to cough or whistle anymore when I come toward the room they are hanging in.

Just because they're not Facebook official anymore doesn't mean you don't have to approach their room with caution.

 

[UConnChapette]

My son is very careful about what he posts on his Facebook page. When we picked him up from the airport after last summer's internship, he was in the passenger seat texting madly away. I ask him who he was texting with so intensely. He gets a funny little barely even there smile and says "noooobodeee" in a way I know is, in fact, somebody. Come to find out, he had a girlfriend for most of the summer. And I had not a clue - but looking back at his pictures that he posted I should have figured it out as the same girl was in almost all pictures and in group shots was always right beside him. Considering the distance - she in Dallas (SMU) and he in Atlanta, that relationship lasted for 3/4 of the academic year. They are now just good friends. Strangely though, he never put on Facebook he was "In a Relationship". He had done that for the previous 4 girlfriends and I think after the 4th breakup he basically figured he would save himself the trouble of having to change it when the inevitable happened. As far as I know - and I did ask him - he isn't "in a relationship" after this summer's internship, though he said he and a cute and wickedly smart Stanford coed had struck up a close friendship but didn't develop any further because she went to Europe for the summer. I still check his Facebook, though. Just in case

 

[cohenzone]

Just because they're not Facebook official anymore doesn't mean you don't have to approach their room with caution.

I was totally tongue or cough in cheek. They are on their way here as I type. BTW, they spend much more time here than her place because she is one of 6, 5 of whom are still at home, while all of my kids are grown with families and far away. My place does afford them more alone space.

 

[HuskyNan]

My 17 year old son, in conversation with the mom that asks him why he doesn't have a Facebook page - "Why should I tell everyone about my private life?". This was, of course, said with the appropriate look of disbelief that Mom could be so silly. My 15 year old son looks horrified at the prospect of reading things like, "OMG, Justin Bieber is starting a new concert tour!". "Facebook is for girls, Mom", he says. He's not as good at the scornful/disbelieving look as his older brother, but he hasn't had as much practice.

 

[cohenzone]

I got on Facebook because an old hs friend runs a music program that she gives info about on a Facebook page and she asked a bunch of people to sign up to follow concert schedules. Of course, I wound up hearing from a bazillion people. But the stuff your son mentioned sounds more like Twitter than Facebook, although some people use FB that way. So many people keep up with each other on FB that probably wouldn't and I kind of enjoy that, but the worst part for kids is they give away a lot of personal info that really doesn't need to be shared with a horde of people. They yield privacy too readily.

 

[HuskyNan]

My kids play online games and have for a long time. My husband and I really beat the drum about not giving out personal info and they took that advice to heart. It's very scary to know that my sons have been asked many times where they live and do they want to meet in person. My boys always report that stuff to the admin of the sites they frequent.

 

[cohenzone]

My kids play online games and have for a long time. My husband and I really beat the drum about not giving out personal info and they took that advice to heart. It's very scary to know that my sons have been asked many times where they live and do they want to meet in person. My boys always report that stuff to the admin of the sites they frequent.

Too bad many more parents don't have that sort of influence. BTW, I read somewhere that when people have some crazy number of "friends" on FB, it's a sign of deep narcissism. I don't know. But twice I've been asked to be a "friend" to someone's pet. I haven't, but I'm tempted to write back that I will if they can promise the pet will post something everyday with no human present. If the pet can do that, not only will I "friend" the animal, but I'll make a generous offer to buy it.