Flying Under the Radar: Finstas and Nonresidential Parenting

Abstract

This case examines the relationships between 16-year-old Cordelia and her recently-divorced parents, Mae and Mark. Based on their visitation agreement, Cordelia lives with her dad (in their original family home) during the school week, and with her mom (in her mom’s new house) from Friday through Monday morning. In an effort to keep up regular interactions with her mom during the week, Cordelia uses phone calls, FaceTime calls, texting, and social media to stay in touch — but her dad has started monitoring these conversations in a way that makes Cordelia uncomfortable. He seems envious of the relationship Cordelia has with Mae, and has become frustrated and a bit hostile. In an effort to continue communicating with Mae outside of Mark’s prying eyes, Cordelia establishes a second set of social media accounts that her dad won’t know about. The case examines issues of nonresidential parenting, privacy rules and privacy management, and social media use in families.