I am probably going to upset some ‘friends’ today. I don’t mean my real life friends, but the virtual ones. It’s probably my mature years, but I just cannot stand that silly smiley face that some Facebook users deploy. Not to mention all the other inane symbols that mean nothing and the now thankfully receding “lol”. Besides, as I tweeted recently, the growth of narcissism on Facebook is phenomenal. I am not a fan of vanity. I suppose many of us are a little vain, but we manage to hide it. It is the “in your face” I can’t take.
As you have now realised, my feelings towards that particular social media are ambiguous. I am usually cautious about whom to accept as a friend, although I am sometimes in a frivolous mood and will take on board people who list many mutual friends. But I never accept anyone before checking his or her profile. The ones I immediately decline are those who have semi naked profile photos, especially in provocative poses. One can be in no doubt of what type of friend those people are after.
This brings me to what started me off on this track. As I was desperately searching for a topic to get my teeth into yesterday, Facebook came to the rescue. One of my friends, whose posts often make me smile and sometimes laugh, shared a cartoon, which was so spot on.
When Facebook first arrived on the scene it seemed like people needed to prove how many friends they had. I was amazed at the thousands of friends some people shared as compared to my humble number. I hardly ever have the time to catch up with my lot, so how do those with thousands of friends manage to keep up?
The thing is, or as the Americans say “here’s the thing”, surely the point of friends is that one shares the same values, the same sense of humour and integrity, and that is where things might get difficult with virtual friends. One’s real friends are people you went to school with, played with growing up, or later hung out with, met up with, worked with, or even had a relationship with. Basically, you have a good idea of what they are really like.
Whereas, you don’t really know the virtual kind, do you? I am often amused by people, who are either virtual friends, or are just people posting comments on a friend’s status. They seem to ‘like’ everything.
Whether it is a gorgeous photo or an awful one, they will always love it and comment on how handsome or beautiful the subject is, even if it is pretty awful!
Is it hypocrisy? Just wanting to be liked? Or an inability to discern? There are some friends, especially the real ones, whose statuses I enjoy. One also has to admit that one tends to be more tolerant to real friends puerile posts. However, there are several that make my day – the humour, shared art and music, good news like the birth of a new baby and some beautiful photography, but I have had my fill of sky shots.
I cannot stand all the partisan posts. They are usually a lot of bitching and backbiting, yawn, yawn. However, one does occasionally come across a valid political point like this one: “USA residents, shutdown impact...
“Did you receive a VA Disability check this month? … Nope.
“Did you receive a Federal Pension check? … Nope.
“Did you receive a Social Security Check? … Nope.
“Do your creditors care? … Nope.
“Thank you very much Congress.
“Congress you should be ashamed of what you are doing.”
What I don’t appreciate is this kind of thing: “Waking up too early in the morning can increase a person’s risk of a heart attack & stroke”, again probably due to being an ‘old timer’ (as one of my young Facebook ‘friends’ starts off by calling me in his invitation to chat) and the fact that I woke up at 4am that day.
I also just wish that some people were more discreet with their personal details. One can use the messaging system for details that only concern the sender and receiver. Why, for example, should I or anyone else on Facebook be interested in future plans between friends if those plans only include them?
Also, some personal affairs are not suitable for public sharing. Although unfortunately, it does not inhibit some on Facebook and they will bare all, which frankly will only interest voyeurs.
However, as a way of keeping in touch with friends and family, especially those abroad, and sometimes getting the pulse of what people are thinking it is great. So I shall still dip in and out of Facebook, until a new social media vehicle emerges, which no doubt it will as I doubt I am the only one that thinks Facebook is on the wane.
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