I have a problem...

[PrincessZelda]

Okay, so... My brother is really cool and I love him, but... if I like something that he doesn't like, he'll constantly make fun of me about it. And, I already have a really low self-esteem. So, if somebody makes fun of me about something I like, I usually end up not doing it anymore, or not in front of them.

So anyways, my brother hates anime. He also thinks talking to people online is bad (like, he thinks everyone's a stalker or whatever). So, I've been hiding that I go to this site from him... Like, if he walks into the room, I'll close the window or whatever.

But, now he thinks I'm looking at porn or something!! And I think he's told my parents that he thinks I'm doing something like that...

Oh, it's just really annoying.

[Debitt]

Well, in regards to your brother and parents: The best thing to do is be upfront about it. Tell them that you're not looking at anything sinful or pornographic, and that you've been hiding it from your brother because you were afraid of his opinion about a message board. The best way to avoid trouble when you're innocent, after all, is to not act like you're up to anything. If your parents, for some reason, don't trust you, maybe offer to let them monitor your online activity for a certain period of time so they can make sure they know what you're doing. I know there are some sites that keep a record of your browser's history and e-mail the record to someone periodically.

[PrincessZelda]

Yeah, I suppose that really would be the right thing to do...

[PHSYCOAT]

I agree completely!
Good thinking.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

How old is your brother?

[meboeck]

Let your parents see your history. History records all the sites you have been to recently. Also, I know it is hard not to be self-concious, especially around family, but your brother needs to know how you feel. That is the only way this will really stop.

[PrincessZelda]

Yeah... I guess you're right...

How old is your brother?

He's 19

[Felix]

Wow. Almost the exact same thing happens to me. My brother thinks I'm a freak because I like anime and I'm online so much, and he's always telling me so. So I kinda know how you feel. He even told all his friends that I'm always looking at porn (not true) and everyone thinks I'm a perv.
Well I'll pray for you and that your bro will lighten up >.<

[Tarnish]

Ugh, my dad does this. He decides to make fun of whatever I'm doing at the time he walks by, and I hate it. I kept CAA a partial secret until he began to think the EXACT same thing your brother suspected.
It sucks, and it still kind of goes on...

[Myoti]

I was gonna say, "sounds like my brother", but then you said he was 19, so, yeah, not the same...

On the issue of porn, I was at school one time on a computer in one of my classes. I happened to find something quite funny and I happened to smile a bit (it's hard for me to REALLY laugh, especially in public :p ). One girl I know saw me and "jokingly" suggested I was looking at porn for some reason.

Well, I THOUGHT she was joking. She later went around to our other classes and basically told everyone I was looking at porn in class.

Yeah, thanks alot JERK... >_<

[Azier the Swordsman]

What I would do, is not hide it at all, and simply ignore him whenever he tries to make fun of you. He can't really push your buttons if you give none to push.

[Syreth]

Yeah, you have nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it's pretty cool to be involved in an online Christian community type thing. Don't be ashamed of who you are and what you like. Enjoying good anime and being online isn't anything bad and if he thinks that it is, then too bad for him, yeah?

[Shao Feng-Li]

Yeah hiding it is a bad idea. You don't want to make people suspisicous of you. Like when someone walks in the room and you jump and close the page.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I was gonna say, "sounds like my brother", but then you said he was 19, so, yeah, not the same...

On the issue of porn, I was at school one time on a computer in one of my classes. I happened to find something quite funny and I happened to smile a bit (it's hard for me to REALLY laugh, especially in public :p ). One girl I know saw me and "jokingly" suggested I was looking at porn for some reason.

Well, I THOUGHT she was joking. She later went around to our other classes and basically told everyone I was looking at porn in class.

Yeah, thanks alot JERK... >_<

something like that happened to me in 7th grade... I was looking up some stuff on the internet (we were doing some projects on current controversies) and I found a website about the controversy of pornography. So I quickly went back a few pages, the teacher was like "What are you doing?" and I was like "Looking up controversies" and he told me to sit at the center table (where other bad kids were put)

Later my science teacher (substitutes wife) was like "My husband told me you were looking at pornography!" in front of the entire science class >_> I got really ticked by that man

[holysoldier5000]

He is probably just looking out for you. I'm an older brother, who in turn has had older brothers of my own. In my case usually the teaseling was just their way of bonding. I know it sounds kind of weird but that is the way boys bound with each other and with other people. Not that I am saying it is right. Sometimes they can hurt others and not realize what they have done. Just as we can hurt others without realizing we have done so. The important thing is to be honest. If you aren't doing anything wrong then there is nothing to hide. But on the other hand just because it is ok, doesn’t mean that others will always believe you. You know it took me 7 years to convince my parents that magical fantasy stories weren’t "the devil's snare" or "witchcraft" but that it was harmless make-believe. The important thing is to have patients with your family, as well as to remember that your family is probably just trying to look out for you. Remember that all they really want to try to do is to keep you out of getting into some kind of trouble that is too tough for you to handle... and trust me there is that kind of trouble out there.

[Syreth]

Good insight. I see what you're talking about with teasing as bonding a lot with my nephews.