The darkest days of my life were during the times my brother and I had to share a laptop, my laptop, mind you. There was never a time that we didn’t nag each other so we can have our turn. Thanks to that laptop breaking down, my daddy had to give me a pretty pink Sony Vaio as a gift for my 18th birthday. While my brother, too stingy to buy a brand new laptop for himself, had the old one fixed. From that day on, we only had to fight over who gets more potatoes from Mommy’s Nilagang Buto-Buto or Chicken Afritada.
You won't miss him in this photo! In case you're wondering, we're 7 long years apart.
Internet-surfing was a breeze until… 2010 and Facebook has become outrageously famous not just among teenagers and yuppies but as well as mommies, daddies and even… grannies.
My mom is now on Facebook (Did you cringe, too?). Since she created her account, she felt the need to check on it everyday. She is always excited by the new (or old) people she meets on Facebook like former classmates and colleagues. Having siblings abroad, she also uses Facebook as an avenue to get updates from them especially now that one of her sisters is going balikbayan this October.
My mom's Facebook account.
So the darkest days of my life seem to be all coming back to me now because this time, I (or kuya, whoever is online) had to share the laptop with my mom. She always says that she’ll only check for a few minutes, a few minutes that turns to an hour… or so. Because she surfs the internet during the evening, and I had to finish some of my requirements, too, I had to stay up late. Then, she reprimands me for staying up late. If only I had the heart to tell her why I had to.
However, I’m not against my mom being on Facebook. I just don’t want her being in the same network as I am because I still have secrets and thoughts that we can’t laugh at yet right now. Those would have to wait first. I am just suggesting, too that since she’s so active online, she should buy herself her own laptop. Or better yet, buy me a new Macbook Pro and she can have my cute pink Sony Vaio all to herself. That’s a very good deal I think.
Me and my mom. Just because. (Christmas, 2008)
The Creaturesque 
“From that day on, we only had to fight over who gets more potatoes from Mommy’s Nilagang Buto-Buto or Chicken Afritada.”
Oh the happiness of having an older brother. 🙂 It seems we have same experiences, Marj, from having an older brother whom you have to fight in order for you to have a decent time for the computer, to having THE mother on Facebook.
My mom recently signed up on Facebook as well. While I allow her to comment on some of my posts and write on my wall, there are still some things that I hide from her using the awesome privacy settings. I have a strong relationship with my mom, mind you, but there are still some things that are better when shared personally in order to have a more spontaneous conversation (or heart-to-heart talks) without the cyberworld reading it. 🙂
PS. When my mom was here (she’s now back in London), she also had to use the computer, so there are three of us fighting over who uses it first (together with my brother). Because of that, she bought me a pretty pink Samsung Netbook as well. Try convincing your mom for that Macbook Pro. Heehee. 🙂
Aawww kc! That’s why you have a new pink Samsung Netbook! Maybe I’ll make it harder for the two of us to share on one laptop so she’ll realize she’d better get me a Macbook Pro, pronto! 🙂
I’m pretty protective of my privacy online which is why my posts cannot be seen by most members of my family. And yes, a part of me died when I knew that my mom created a Facebook account. Thank goodness she has yet to add me. Sharing a computer is certainly easier for me rather than share my most honest of thoughts to my kin.
You’re post made me laugh 😛 Too cute, Marj.
My mom (thank heavens) is totally apathetic to all things online. She’s pretty satisfied with her Koreanovelas and other TV series. My dad on the other hand, keeps nagging my brother and me to create an FB account for him. The good thing about it is that me and my brother both disagree with him entering our online lives so as of today my dad is not on Facebook. *evil laugh*
Like you Marj, I also had a fair share of doom when my (3 older) brothers and I had to share laptops. So I know how you feel. 😐 Actually even now, I don’t enjoy my privacy since all our laptops are connected via homegroup so we could access each other’s laptops using our own. That is why imagine my horror when mom said she wanted a facebook account. I think they’re barging too much in my life and I’m not liking it. I need some space. haha. As for you, better tell them to give you that Mac book Pro or you’ll delete her fb account. Kidding!
Doomsday as we call it. But I must agree with you that facebook is so useful that even our parents get addicted to it. My mom has recently created her fb account and got easily addicted to it. Good thing we don’t have an unlimited internet connection in our house (hehe!), I still have much time to tweak the privacy settings of my fb account.
One of the reasons why our parents get addicted to is is because (1) they see us using and addicted to it, (2) they want to see and re-connect with their friends, former classmates, and relatives through it, and lastly (3) they use apps and play games such as farm ville, mafia wars, cafe world, ect. during their leisure time
Ahhh..parents and grandparents discovering Facebook. My mom is constantly nagging me to give her my email address and password in Facebook so she can view my photos. I still don’t have the heart to tell her that I’ll just create a Facebook account for her because, 1. I don’t think it would be good for her eye problems, 2. It might be the end of me, 3. I am pretty sure she’ll get addicted to online games(she’s already obsessed with Text Twist, why give her another obsession, right?). For now, distracting her when she’s asking for my email address and password will have to do since explaining to her about online privacy may get me into more trouble.
Heya Marj, I can imagine you and your brother fighting over who’s turn it’ll be with the laptop but I can’t imagine you and your brother fighting over potatoes. Haha kidding! Anyway, I don’t think it would hurt to give your mother a chance to explore Facebook. You know you can always block her from your wall if you want (I don’t think she’d notice). Again, kidding 🙂 But don’t you think if all of you have your own laptops there’s be little time to talk among yourselves and bond as a family cause all of you may be always online? So, try to compromise to make ends meet between you and your mom using Facebook.
There are just some things we don’t want others to see… and that is a comment from your parent/grandparent on perhaps your latest relationship status. Yes, it is doomsday for us once the oldies from our family decides to take part in the same network we are in. It’s not that we don’t want to interact with them. It’s mainly because we have a separate image when we’re not at home. We don’t want them to see that in fear that they would start this motherly/fatherly litanies on a medium where everyone else in your network can see.
I agree with you Marj, you SHOULD get a new laptop. 😀
One good thing that I like about new social media is that it does not underestimate the need of the youth for privacy. That quality is very adult-ish. Remember when parents used to read your diary?
New social media gives us options on our privacy, they allow us to control what others can see, and I do think that is very helpful, because like you, I also have “secrets”. :p