An important online security warning
There are those out there willing to take advantage of the innocent. Tech-savvy types, ready to make fun of the unaware. They’re called daughters.
Yes, these delightful young ladies, with perfect manners and sweet smiles, have a secret agenda to humiliate poor old dad. I hear some of you muttering that’s not a particularly difficult task. You’re not helping.
Like most of their age, The Teenager and Daughter Two are immersed in the world of social media. But not the ones you and I know.
Forget Facebook and Twitter. They barely rate a mention. It’s all about Snapchat and Instagram. And a few others I can’t fathom.
For those who remember black and white television, let me explain. As best I can. Instagram is all about photos, with smart comments. Snapchat is the delivery of photos and videos with smart comments, that disappear after ten seconds. Are you still awake out there?
I don’t understand the attraction. But then again, I still take Daily Doubles. For teenagers, Snapchat is the perfect way to communicate. Minimal effort required. Just a few words. Let the technology do all the work. And then it’s gone.
Armed with their new iPhones, my daughters are ready to capture anything, at any given moment. A squadron of friends is doing the same thing, waiting to swap whatever comes their way. The more ridiculous the better. And when it comes to ridiculous, dads are hard to beat.
When we’re in the car, music is played at a decent level. The perfect place to trap an unsuspecting driver. And it’s taken me weeks to realise.
Their cunning system is as follows. One will take the front seat, and find a song that they know I like. As I launch into a version that may or may not be pitch perfect, they begin recording. Secretly, with the phone casually pointed in my direction.
Sometimes, I may be doing daggy dance moves while driving. They find this amusing. Apparently, so do their friends.
It came to a head on the weekend. My sneaky offspring slipped a favourite Christmas carol into play. I’m battling city traffic and red lights, and suddenly Mariah Carey springs into action. ‘All I Want for Christmas is You.’ What was a man to do?
I launched into it with great gusto. The judges are still deliberating on whether I hit the high notes. All in all, I was happy with my performance.
That was, until the giggling began. They couldn’t help themselves. Nor could hundreds of others. Thousands maybe. I was being shared around the globe. Well, South Brisbane anyway.
There’s every chance I have my own YouTube channel, and don’t even know. Someone could be getting rich from my unique sound.
Where are the iPhone police when you need them? Dads have rights too. I’m sure I read that somewhere.
Let this be a warning to all fathers. You are now a target. Do something remotely silly, and you will be a star. Sons and daughters will see to that.
I’ll be toning down my car singing in future. And my crazy arm waving. You can’t trust anyone. Especially family. And Mariah Carey.
