Dear Editor,

Due to the increasing popularity of social networking sites, it is common for teenagers to post their daily happenings onto their Facebook, in order to share their happy moments and sadness with their friends. However, direct communication with their parents becomes less and less. To understand more about their children, parents try to set up fake Facebook accounts to check up on their children and this undesirable act would definitely damage the parent-child relationship.

There are two reasons for parents to monitor their children’s online activities. First, Facebook is a good source for parents to know more about their children’s updates. Nowadays, nearly all teenagers have Facebook accounts. They would like to share all the happenings on the Facebook indiscriminately. After becoming a friend on their Facebook list, it is at their fingertips for parents to know about their children’s daily routine in order to know whether they make bad friends and have any emotional problems.

Second, parents have little spare time to communicate with their children. In Hong Kong, parents are busy working to maintain a better life for their family. After a busy working day, they are too exhausted and may not be able to squeeze some time to talk with their children. In order to compensate for their guilt on not being able to accompany them, they try to understand more about their children through Facebook.

Obviously, parents who access their children social accounts have good intentions. However, it is not a sensible act. It is because it is an intrusion of their privacy. Parents are just spies hacking into their children’s Facebook without their permission. They do not respect their children and it will damage the relationship between parents and children if they reveal the fact. Moreover, it will set a bad example for children. Therefore, it is not a desirable act for parents to access their children’s Facebook without their permission.

What parents can do to improve the parent-child relationship is to communicate more with their children. Although they are busy with their work, they need to spare some time to chat with their children. For example, they can send instant messages to care about their children during their free time. Moreover, they can set up a real Facebook account to see their children’s updates. Probably, it is more acceptable and they are more willing to accept their parents on their friends’ list on Facebook.

In conclusion, maintaining a good parent-child relationship requires real communication. It is important for parents to talk more with their children. It is easier and more direct for children to feel the love and care from their parents.

Yours faithfully,
Lam Po Yi 6A
HHCKLA Buddhist Ching Kok Secondary School