Your Mom Likes This

The first time I ever cursed in front of either of my parents was December 23, 2008. Yes, you’re reading that correctly – three months ago. Oh and I’m almost 30 years old (I know it’s weird, right?). The scene: I was on the road coming home for Christmas when my phone rang. It was my dad, and he had utterly tragic news: “the Yankees got Teixeira.” With my head in a tizzy, I shouted “NO SHIT!?” putting equal emphasis on “NO” and “SHIT” in a cadence similar to Elaine’s “GET OUT!” from Seinfeld. Immediately I found myself apologizing, before making the realization that I was not a third grader and being very ridiculous. 

So when my dad added me on Facebook last week it should come as no surprise that I overreacted, scrolling and clicking furiously to purge my profile of any shred of damning evidence that might one day be used against me. I was finally able to relax a bit after deleting a photo album labeled “Tulsa Meth Binge ’06.” This, it turns out, was no isolated incident. Just a few days ago, Sophie, senior correspondent, the Limits of Science, was “friended” by her dad (though her reaction, she claims, was not “all spazzy” like mine). 

Are we witnessing the start of a national trend? Totally, says the website Inside Facebook. Today they reported that in the last 60 days alone the number of Facebook users over 35 has nearly doubled. If you don’t believe me, take a look at that fancy pie chart at the top of this post (pie charts are incapable of lying) or read the report.

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