As individuals rely less on familial connections and success is measured simply in terms of status in both education and occupation, a natural rift occurs between the work and family facets of one’s life. Personally, I have found that as I progress in my educational career the more difficult it has become to manage my now separate lives at Athenian and my house. At times, it even feels like the pressure from both my parents and peers coerces me into a position where I must pit the feelings of my family against that of my friends. Unfortunately, whether I am at home or school I feel that I have to act or behave differently simply to fit into the depiction that they have created of me. Recently, as my life is further connected to my friends through social networking sites such as Facebook, I must further evaluate and dissect my relationship with my family and my right to hide certain information from both. While I “friend” people I barely know and continue to avoid any virtual contact with my family online, I wonder who is more important to me. Is it right for teenagers to have a place (in this case Facebook) where they have the false sense of security to be able to post any feelings, true or false, under the veil of anonymity? Should the minor be allowed a place where he or she can share emotions with peers without fear of consequences? Personally I believe that any feeling worth sharing with a friend is worth sharing with other friends and even family. The danger of a place like Facebook or even conversations through text messaging is that it offers an individual a place where they can vent negative emotions without the awkwardness of face-to-face conversation. The social life of humans and particularly students would be greatly improved if such means of communicating were removed and the social gap between school and home were bridged and unified.
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