Facebook and twitter can trigger an out of control party

Posted August 19th, 2009.

A party is a party. It is not new for students to try and organize as big of a party as possible, but in the era of Facebook and twitter, there exists new problems and potentially huge disasters.

It is not entirely common for student parties to go out of control, but without minimizing the risks, there is a chance it can snowball out of control.

Sometimes word spreads, and without warning, a small party can balloon with unwanted or uninvited guests. Strangers from other schools often attend parties, but have little responsibility over cleaning up after themselves or taking care of their peers. They often don’t even know who is throwing the party let alone their parents. From my own personal experience, unwanted guests can be a very difficult challenge for party hosters to deal with, especially if it is completely unexpected.

A party reported in the Ottawa Citizen for instance, talks about a party that started with 20 guests grew to over 100. Before long, there was several arrests made for public drunkenness and a woman was charged with assaulting a police officer.

Student parties that blow out of control are not a new occurrence, but now, an advertised party on Facebook and twitter can get passed on to a greater number of students than ever before.

Ottawa Police Chief Vern White says the responsibility lies between parents and their students. “Parents need to be clear that their kids can’t have a party without their authority. They need to have a frank discussion and make their expectations clear. If they say their kids can have a few friends, take the time to specify a number and if there’s alcohol involved.

It can be particularly helpful if you let your kids know the dangers associated with over-advertising their party. Often, students just do not anticipate it blowing out of proportion. A little foresight can go a long way to help students host a safe and risk-free party.

For more information, see www.canada.com/life/parenting/Facebook+Twitter+parties/1862170/story.html