Just kidding. It’s not really, well, not for you. But amongst teenagers, sharing passwords is apparently the best way to demonstrate your love, trust and, uh, stupidity.
The New York Times reports that the sharing of passwords for email and Facebook is becoming a growing trend amongst teens in love, as a way to demonstrate affection. Isn’t that adorable?
“It’s a sign of trust,” one teen told the New York Times about her decision to share passwords for e-mail and Facebook with her boyfriend. “I have nothing to hide from him, and he has nothing to hide from me.”
It’s not just anecdotal, either. According to Pew, 33 per cent of teens surveyed say they do it. In many ways, it’s understandable. People in love want to share.
Problem is, it might not be quite so adorable when these kids split up and start posting malicious Twitter updates. In fact, the same NYT piece lists some of the ways it can go wrong:
The stories of fallout include a spurned boyfriend in junior high who tries to humiliate his ex-girlfriend by spreading her e-mail secrets; tensions between significant others over scouring each other’s private messages for clues of disloyalty or infidelity; or grabbing a mobile phone from a former best friend, unlocking it with a password and sending threatening texts to someone else.
How nice. Of course, we could’ve them all this. But if you’re torn over which passwords you’re willing to give up to your loved one, you should read our guide. In short: let them have the Netflix password, and run screaming if they demand one for your email. [New York Times; Image: gfpeck]
Jack
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 12:15 PMI shared my password with 3 girls before, first/second year highschool.
One thing to note, is the guys never Initiate asking for the other’s password.
Even my 18 year old sister does it with her new boyfriend.
I wouldn’t so it again, but he always does hell funny updates so it’s awesome.
All
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 7:57 PM+1
Gordon
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 12:18 PMOh the horror…
The Cracks
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 3:42 PMI felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of sysadmins suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.
Cranny
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 3:51 PMMe and my girlfriend know each others passwords and pin numbers. If you trust the person and got nothing to hide what’s the problem. I agree it’s a good thing – easier to proof your not cheating behind their back
ogre
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 8:31 PMIt’ll bite you in the ass if you break up badly though.
Cranny
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 3:52 PMMe and my girlfriend know each others passwords and pin # If you trust the person and got nothing to hide what’s the problem. I agree it’s a good thing – easier to proof your not cheating behind their back
incontrovertible
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 8:17 PMhow so? email accounts, bank accounts, it is easy to make another ‘secret’ one.
to be honest it is an even bigger sign of trust to NOT share the passwords, it shows you have strength of character and proves to you or them that they/you actually trust you.
being in a relationship doesn’t mean the other person has the automatic right to get into every facet of your life, there have to be boundaries and having boundaries in relationships is healthy. It’s not the case for everyone though, but often especially in young people it is a red flag for control and abuse of trust when someone ASKS for your passwords.
Suq Madiq
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 3:57 PM“Of course, we could’ve them all this.” Ah I see that English degree is paying off Jamie.
Nathan
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 4:07 PMThese kids are too young to realise what they are doing, their love for these ‘social’ networks will come back to haunt them if they continue to share their passwords. I know quite a few very smart teenagers that don’t use Facebook and swear they never will, good to know we still have atleast SOME rational people in that generation that dont follow like sheep.
Husky
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 7:19 PMYes, using Facebook is a horrible thing and smart people don’t. Except after moving away from my home town it was how i keep in touch with high school friends, how I know someone is having a party. Hating something popular seems awfully sheepish nowadays.
Ozoneocean
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 6:45 PMThat shared facebook password stuff makes for some very annoying posts from ‘friends’ in your facebook feed.
Jack Cola
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 12:51 AMIt’s a two way street. If, like in the article, on person of the relationship shares private messages, the other one can do the exact same thing. So in the end, both people would lose out, so you wouldn’t think of being the first person of the relationship to share private emails, because your ex can do the exact same thing to you.
OMG
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 1:29 AMKids do a lot of stupid things… We should just remind them that the Internet and anything that goes on there will be in their ‘permanent record’ which they seem to fear…
Common sense
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 3:03 PMIf you break up…i’m pretty sure you could just change the passwords??