The Last Face Kids Want To See On Facebook

(CBS)  For longtime users of the Web site Facebook, getting an online request from someone to be your "friend" occurs almost daily.

Janelle Hardin, a senior at Azusa Pacific University, got a Facebook friend request from someone who made her a little uneasy -- even though she's known the person all her life.

Says Janelle, "It was weird when my mom got on because I didn't know she knew how to do stuff like that and also it is weird to see your parents on a Facebook profile."

Janelle decided to accept her mom, but not everyone is so gracious. Online groups like "keep parents off Facebook," and "eek, my mom is on facebook" are places for young adults to vent about the parental invasion.

Some young people say having parents on their Facebook page is like giving them the key to their online diary: once you accept a friend invitation, that person can see everything you're up to unless you set privacy limits. Pictures of parties and gossip are the biggest concern.

What was created as a college social networking site has now become the home to 200 million users, and more than two-thirds of them are out of college.

Like mother of three Rhenda Strub. "I went on Facebook to spy on my kids!" she exclaims with a laugh.

Initially her daughter Emma was appalled.

When she got the friend request, Emma says she thought: "No way, no way!"

Fourteen-year-old Emily Higgins "ignored" her dad Joe's friend request, so the Boston advertising executive decided to push a little harder

"I said 'why aren't you friending me,'" Joe says. "She responded, 'that is creepy dad. That is stalking.'"

So Joe set out making T-shirts and bumper stickers, but so far nothing is working.

Emily insists, "He doesn't need to be my friend on Facebook. We live in the same house."

While Emily might have to share her personal space with her dad, like many kids on Facebook, she isnt ready give up her cyber-space -- just yet.

©2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved

[jewels62883]

I am 25 years old and my mother lives about an hour away from me. Two months ago my mom lost her voice and has yet to regain it, facebook has allowed us to communicate as much as we did before when she had a voice. If it wasn't for my mom being my friend on facebook I would not know what to do. I love talking to her and reading her posts and I know she loves to read mine.

[magcor-2009]

I was asked by my children to join Facebook and MySpace. I guess I'm lucky they like to have me around, even in virtual space.

[MickeyHarbor]

I am an 81 year old great grandmother and was first invited to join FB by my married grandchildren and then by my daughter. They told me that I was missing out on all of the family fun and the pictures. I quickly joined and was befriended by my daughters friends that I know and many others. I have fun reading what goes on in all their busy lives and seeing all of the picture albums. When I choose, I make comments and am promptly answered back. I wouldn't miss my daily peek at FB nor would my 85 year old husband. Our family and friends say "what's to hide if you're living right?"

[Wookiee-1138]

I let my mom on, and within a day I was getting scolding messages about my Profile Pic and political views.

[facebookgrandma]

I am a 62 year old grandmother with a facebook account. My facebook friends include 2 sisters, my sister-in-law, 3 daughters, 6 teenage grand-daughters, a teenage niece, my grandson's fiance, and a large number of nieces and nephews and their husbands and wives, most of whom are also friends with each other. I'm not on facebook to spy on my grandkids...........I'm there to keep up with everything that's going on in their lives and we have a lot of fun communicating with each other on facebook. On the other hand, I do believe that if it's something you wouldn't want your parents (or your grandmother) to see on facebook, DON'T DO IT!

[nabilahgirl]

I have a page on facebook, my space, and twitter. My daughter (29yrs old) is the one that invited me to get involved on them and she posts to me regularly. I also have other friends my age and have even had a friends two daughters (in their early 20's) that got excited when they found out I had pages and ask me to be on their friends list on the pages. So if the kids don't want a parent on there then I would say they probably have things to hide. I do not use the pages to spy on my daughter and I do not critisizze her for what she puts on her page. I also have young nieces and nephews on my friends list and they do not have a problem with it but I also do not run to their mother with what they put on their page, and no I do not approve of everything on their pages either but I am not there to snope. I am there to communicate and visit with friends, and have fun doing it.

[displeased]

If I'm paying for it then expect me to be watching.I'll be on facebook or any oter site you may be on.
Posted by mike18881

You might as well listen to their phone calls and read their mail while you're at it.

[222nana67]

I have a Facebook account and many of my FB friends are nieces and young friends. My grandchildren (15 and 13) were cautious when I asked them to "friend"... the older one just accepted me. Their parents are not computer savvy (unfortunately) and I wanted to "oversee" in their absence. Most of her FB chatter is completely egocentric: me, me, me. I did "review" older posts and thankfully found no surprises - just the "usual" chatter among friends. I've found FB to be a valuable resource and "too bad" if Nana now can see what I did last night... maybe it's a good thing to know "someone is watching over me"!

[Anniek1965]

Oh what a relief, my two sons (26 & 24), are still "discussing" accepting me as a friend! I was feeling like such a loser, and it's nice to know there are other losers out there, and I am just as good as they are! Ha! I can get my own friends!

[Ellen_D]

I'm 41, and I wish my mom was on Facebook. That way she wouldn't bug me about sending her pictures that I can't afford to print, and that she ends up giving away.

To ImTiger2, I sent a friend invite to an ex just to see if he had the cojones to accept it. Of course, he didn't. It could be that they're just trying to see how you react.