Facebook, internet, etc for Freshmen?

My son just got his nomination from our Congressman.

I was wondering if they get computer access in the dorms ?
I will not be heartbroken if they can't get on facebook but he might be

Thanks for any info

Yes, the cadets are allowed computer, internet access within the dorms. As far as Facebook goes, I have heard it depends on the squadron your cadet gets put into.

Thanks for the info

Please note: your child will probably not have any computer access at all until BCT is over, in August. It's a long wait.

Facebook is not blocked and is the very first site everyone went to the day we got our computers. As the semester went on, I realized that facebook usage was directly proportional to my GPA so I deleted my account. It will take a couple days to get internet once you get your computer (unless you are one of the few who actually gets set up on the first day).

Later,

Brian

We've found that FB is a great way to get in touch with our son (also 2014). I don't think he spends a lot of time on it, but it makes it easy for him to upload pictures for everyone (family and friends) to see or update people on his life. I would say he posts something at most once a day, usually more once a week, but he tends to keep it open and it's a great way for a quick chat when I want to ask him a quick question (sending a package or airline info, etc.). I can also upload his pictures that he puts on FB to my computer to use for making photo albums or sharing with relatives who may not be his "friend" on FB. I didn't have an account before this year, but am now much more conversant in it!

To the OP - that was by far the hardest part of Beast for my son - living without his computer/phone/internet! Other moms told me their kids wrote constantly about the food they missed - when they went to the Cadet Store, my son was the one drooling over the computers and DVD's instead!

Good for quick hellos

We use Facebook for quick "hi, how's your day?" type conversations with our son. One interesting note: When our son was in high school and my wife "friend requested" him, we got a "no way Mom". However, once BCT was over and my wife friend requested him again, we got an acceptance and an "I miss you mom." For us, its an easy way to gauge his mood based on what he posts. We can also see that he is making friends at the Academy and that is ALL positive.

Mike - I use a simple rule for friending people on FB - I never initiate the request for anyone not of my generation! Several of my kids' friends, including my son's at USAFA have sent me requests, and I always accept them, but I would never ask them. Some I notice friend me and then immediately block me from nearly everything on their page - I'm left going "why did you even send the request then?" All I can guess is for some (especially still in HS), it's a status thing to have as many friends as they can!

I do find it fun reading some of my son's posts with his peers on FB (one will post something and he'll comment so I'll be able to see the whole conversation) and kind of getting a small peek into their life and interactions with one another! I can't use it as much in general to gauge his mood though since he usually tends to only post things like pictures, or today's "5 classes left of chemistry for the rest of my life!" but I think uses it more to chat with his GF or his friends using chat, so I can't see any of those.

We have been really fortunate. My son is in an awesome squad. They have theri cellphones, they can go on FB, they seem to be pretty cool to their Doolies. I get a call every night from my son. He is bummed that he can't stay in his current squad for the 4 years. He told me there are a couple of squads that are really strict about cellphones, I forget if he said that some of his peers can't even use them yet or just recently got permission to use their cellphones.
Everything depends on the squad they are assigned to.

i've never heard of a training staff denying facebook to their freshman. even if they did, I don't think it could be justified from a training perspective or enforced.

Squads don't deny facebook lol

marciemi said:

All I can guess is for some (especially still in HS), it's a status thing to have as many friends as they can!

Click to expand...

Haven’t you heard “The more friends you have on FB the less you have in real life" (JK…sometimes)
At my school at least people are on it all the time but a lot of the time it is “IS MRS.___’s PROJECT DUE TOMORROW” or “whats Mr.___ A block homework?” we have groups set up for the more difficult classes so its easy to get extra help(especially because its hard to stay after school with a teacher to get enough one on one time to actually learn the stuff). I just ignore the rest of the stuff usually.