Eagle and Facebook

Eric had his Eagle board of review on Wednesday. He asked me and Mario to accompany him to the interview. Of course we weren't allowed to go in during the review, but that didn't help my anxiety over the whole thing. I was a nervous wreck for him. Fortunately, Walmart was only a mile away and so I left and went to get a few things while Eric sweated through his interview. Mario called me to tell me that he could see Eric through the glass window and he assured me that Eric was smiling and laughing and looked completely comfortable. After about 45 minutes, they let Eric leave and then called us back in a few minutes later to tell us that he was now officially an Eagle Scout. Whew! What a relief, it is over.

I have always been opposed to having Facebook in our home. I didn't want to get hooked on it and I certainly didn't want my children using it. But about a month ago, I came to the conclusion that I can't shelter Eric forever (as much as I would like to). So Mario and I talked and decided to allow Eric to get his own Facebook page when he passed his Eagle board. So Eric immediately came home after the review and started his page. Mario sat with him making sure the privacy settings looked right. Then we watched him start "friending." First guy that friends him back is in his Spanish class. Mario and I watched over Eric's shoulder as Eric scrolled through his Facebook wall. It was covered in 4 letter words and immoral stuff. I immediately felt a pit forming in my stomach and felt like we are making a BIG mistake in letting Facebook into our home. As far as I'm concerned, it is pure evil for teenagers (and for some adults). I went up to bed and Mario spent a long time talking to Eric about the dangers of this new hobby.

Of course we have strict rules set up for using it, including we have to be home and around for him to use it. We ALWAYS have access to his password and he better be careful who he friends and what he says on there. We won't hesitate to take it away. A couple days later, I am not sure how I am feeling about it. I really want Eric to be able to make some decisions. I can't send him off to college in 3 years being completely sheltered. But Mario and I feel that home is a sanctuary from all the peer pressure he feels at school everyday. Now allowing this in our home, we feel that we may be taking from his sanctuary. It is not easy being parents to teenagers. I am grateful that Mario and I are on the same page with everything and that we have a strong foundation in the gospel.