Facebook is a wonderful thing. Few things so accurately represent our generation as a whole.

We can keep in touch with people across the country or the world as easily as if they were next door. We can play games, read statuses, make wall posts and otherwise bombard ourselves with overwhelming sensory input.

Most importantly though, it means we can let everyone who is even remotely involved in our lives know everything about everything we do, say or think.

This is all well and good — it makes college life easier — as everyone knows everything about their friends right away.

There’s no more need to go and ask someone if they finally broke up with their stupid boyfriend or if Brad is fighting with Janet. It all appears in a handy little heart on the wall. If you’re lucky you’ll even get pictures. nobody even needs to send out an antiquated mass text or, heaven forbid, actually call. 

However, the recent rise of Facebook to mainstream popularity has brought with it the arch nemesis of the college student: the parent.

Our parents are on Facebook now, and what’s worse is we have to friend them. It’s against the rules not to. We know them. This gives them access to our lives, something parents of college students have never really had before.

At the turn of the century we were independent from our parents.

College students went to college, talked on the phone with them once a week, maybe wrote an email or two. We could control what they saw and therefore what they thought, because they never went to college or experienced this lifestyle. We could represent ourselves as the perfect little angels they had raised and sent off to get educated.

Now things are messy. My mom can see my pictures. All of them. And not just mine, but the ones my friends have taken. She sees all of my posts, wall-to-walls, and “Bejeweled” high scores. She knows exactly how much homework I’m not doing. It’s terrifying.

And I’m not the only one with this problem. Ian Timberlake, junior in aerospace engineering, has both his parents on Facebook.

“I don’t really care,” he said. “They don’t really interact with me on Facebook.”

Bold words.

So here’s the deal: we need to fix this. Our parents cannot be aware of our tomfoolery, shenaniganizing or general mischief. They must be kept in the dark of their own imaginations, where it’s safe.

Keep Facebook safe so it can be used for it’s purpose: stalking each other.