There are a few unspoken rules of Venmo that most of us who've been using the app for a while just get. Only make those transactions public about which you'd like to humblebrag. Stalk away, but never like the transaction deep in somebody's feed. (This goes for Instagram, too.) Don't request money from your friends without talking it over first. The eggplant emoji never means what you think it does.
But when you're new to Venmo, or any app, you can't possibly grasp the "code" right away — so you're bound to make a few blunders. Parents, especially, have been known to make (often hilarious) tech fails when they're trying something new.
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The latest? A guy named Adam Jacob, who attends Illinois State University, sent this tweet, which ended up going viral: "My dad was just introduced to Venmo and it's the worst thing ever. He just requested $50 for '2001 tee ball registration fee.'"
My dad was just introduced to Venmo and it's the worst thing ever. He just requested $50 for "2001 tee ball registration fee"
— Adam Jacob (@Adamjacobbbb) August 15, 2017
Was Adam's dad trolling him? Very likely. He wasn't the only parent to recently download Venmo and just not "get" it, though. This includes not getting that there's a 99% chance a transaction for "artisan butt plugs" is a joke:
my mom just checked my venmo transaction history and didn't approve of my purchase of "artisan butt plugs"
— Trisha (@BigFishTrish) August 14, 2017
Same goes for the euphemistic eggplant emojis:
Parents reviewing my Venmo transactions: And what was this ? to Joe for?
— Æric (@ebobes) August 11, 2017
Me: it rly could have been anything except for an actual eggplant
Or thinking that requesting money on Venmo means you're mooching off your friends:
TFW ur mom gets venmo but she doesn't understand it AND you're her only friend pic.twitter.com/KsJo3J4HpY
— Gina Fuchs (@ginaAfuchs) August 3, 2017
"She keeps checking in to ask if I need money because she thinks I'm just on it borrowing money from friends," Gina told BuzzFeed News.
When they make fake requests, though, it shows that they totally get Venmo — or at least how to troll people on it.
letting my dad get a venmo was one of the worst decisions i've made pic.twitter.com/59g2CXIFlN
— emily arvin (@emc___hammer) August 3, 2017
On one hand, we're glad a lot of parents are finally discovering Venmo, if they're not on it already — it's a lot easier than sending checks back and forth. On the other, we're in for a lot of face-palm moments.