Woman, 104, forced to lie about age on Facebook
GROSSE POINTE SHORES, Mich. (AP) - Marguerite Joseph can be forgiven for lying about her age on Facebook.
The 104-year-old Michigan woman's granddaughter says Joseph is unable to list her real age on the social media site.
Gail Marlow says when she tries inputting her grandmother's birth year as 1908, Facebook changes it to 1928. So for the past two years, the Grosse Pointe Shores centenarian has remained 99 - online, anyway.
Joseph is legally blind and can't hear well, but Marlow reads and responds to all of her Facebook messages.
Marlow tells WDIV-TV she "would love to see" Joseph's real age displayed on Facebook and chalks up her inability to do so to "a glitch in the system."
A Facebook official did not immediately respond to a message Wednesday seeking comment.
The 104-year-old Michigan woman's granddaughter says Joseph is unable to list her real age on the social media site.
Gail Marlow says when she tries inputting her grandmother's birth year as 1908, Facebook changes it to 1928. So for the past two years, the Grosse Pointe Shores centenarian has remained 99 - online, anyway.
Joseph is legally blind and can't hear well, but Marlow reads and responds to all of her Facebook messages.
Marlow tells WDIV-TV she "would love to see" Joseph's real age displayed on Facebook and chalks up her inability to do so to "a glitch in the system."
A Facebook official did not immediately respond to a message Wednesday seeking comment.
My son-in-laws grandmother tried to get a new credit card at 103 and they told her she could not have a card at three years of age.She called them and told them she was born in 1902 not 2002.Â
@GJBEECK - LOL - now that's priceless! Did the idiot on the other end actually think a 3 year old was talking to them or inputting on a keyboard?! It's sad she even needs a credit card at 103 - I'm way younger and I gave all of mine up 2 years ago. Love paying cash and it's done.
2013 - 1928 = 99? Are journalistic standards so low now that ability to do basic math isn't even a requirement to be published?
Those son of a B's! Let her age be known!!!!
Thank God the Associated Press is out there bringing us these important stories.Â
And the beltway media wonder why Obama would rather do Google Plus interviews than answer questions about how many 3 putts he or Tiger had...
@lakeview That's why it's under Offbeat.
Like that a hell of a lot better than the underage kids who lie about their age to get on Facebook, like my niece!
@Zoso My daughter was allowed to have a facebook acct when she tirned 13, till the first time I caught her breaking the internet rules in our house then I deleted her acct and she has to have my husband or I log into the internet for her.... to many kids i know have facebook accts long before they are 13- and so many of them don;t have the privacy setting right nor do the parents care.Â
@Zoso My son will be 13 on April 1st and I still refuse to let him sign up for facebook. Ain't happening!
@Tattooed_Angel @ZosoÂ
Well.....I'm almost 70 and I've never been on facebook, twitter, or any of that time wasting social media. Hasn't happened - ain't gonna' happen! I'm not sure why I'm even replying here, but I thought the article sounded funny.
@trainguy43 @Tattooed_Angel @Zoso I have been a computer geek since the '70's, yes computers existed then too little ones, just nothing like today's; didn't sign up for any social media sites over the years, only things like this forum. These forums don't know who I am unless I tell them. Social media sites like FaceBook should be illegal, because they exploit the personal information they are given because the giver is too stupid to know better.
@Zoso You have one too huh? My niece started her FB page at the age of 11. 3 times I reported it and it was deleted however after the third time my sister called me to ask if it was me that was reporting it and I said yes it was me. She said it's not my business what my niece does and if I have a problem with it then I should have talked to my sister about it. I politely reminded her that I have talked about this with her and how concerned I was because there are no security settings enabled and anyone anywhere can get my nieces info, age(albeit wrong age), location and that she is interested in men. AT 11!!!!!! That was summer 2010 and after that blow up I haven't talked with my sister since and my niece still has a FB account but has blocked me, however if I go on under my husbands account I can type my nieces name into search and find everything anyone would need to know about her. It makes me sick but she's 14 now and so messed up but that's another story.Â
Nothing personal but it probably wasn't your business. You aren't your niece's parent. Instead of being a postive influence in your nieces life, it appears your approach has caused you to be further away. Did you actions accomplish what you were hoping for?
@Justaguy Yes it is her business because her sister doesn't give a crap about her own child. Only the best can be hoped for in a case like this.
@Robinsnest That sounds rather familiar. Good reminder that parenting has failed. Hope she gets off before it's too late!
@LauraAllisonMac I know!!
@Martha_Kang Social media knows no bounds...:)
@LauraAllisonMac Or boundaries, unfortunately... :D
But a birthday in 1928 would make a person only 84 or 85.
@Duncan Construction good point
@Duncan Construction You might want to reread the story.
@Zoso @Duncan Construction 2013-1928=85, not 99.Â
@Sutekh I don't recall saying that anyone is stupid, but since you brought it up.....
@Zoso @lakeview @Duncan Construction 2012 - 1928 = not 99.  Reading comprehension huh?
@Zoso@lakeview@Duncan Construction I believe they are responding to a different part of the same story.
" So for the past two years, the Grosse Pointe Shores centenarian has remained 99 - online, anyway."
Or you could keep assuming that everyone else is stupider than you.
@lakeview @Duncan Construction Okay, since we have a reading comprehension problem, let's all read it together.... "Gail Marlow says when she tries inputting her grandmother's birth year as 1908, (which means that's when she was born) Facebook changes it to 1928." Since she's 104, let's go back to elementary school and do the math... 2012 (since I'm assuming her birthday is past today's date) - 1908 = 104. WOW! See how that works?