Months ago, I inadvertantly opened a Facebook account to view online photographs of a teen event the kids had attended. I had no intention of doing anything much with it, after all, I am perfectly happy as a blogger. But each week, I would open my email to more and more "friend" requests. Some were folks I knew from co-op, and some were people I had gone to high school with 25 years ago.
I ignored most of them until a month or so ago, when all the buzz about my 25th Reunion was in the air and I wanted to see who all was attending. A few ladies I know locally kept telling me I "would love it" once I gave it a real go, telling me how addicting it becomes. So, I set out to visit my "Wall" once a day for two weeks, thinking that would be a fair sampling.
I have to admit that I just don't get it. Facebook that is. I do not understand the appeal at all.
I don't even enjoy reading my "Wall" because it is filled with comments about the most unimportant blathering. Why would anyone be drawn to comments like "I'm so bored" "Just fed the cat and now to watch rerun of "Friends" ? Do you really think anyone out there cares which Twilight Vampire you are most like? It was interesting to read the profiles of high school friends to catch up, and even though I would be happy to see them at the reunion, I don't want to have online pillow fights or play Mafia Wars with them.
The thing that really baffles me is the amount of time many of these folks spend posting all this silly stuff. I can't help but think that they must be terribly lonely to need to cast random opinions to the wind in one sentence shots twenty times a day. Call someone up and have them over for iced tea, and have a real converstation!
Maybe I am just way too busy, or maybe that I value quality relationships too much. Maybe I am just a snob after blogging and having such a great sharing of ideas with so many. Possibly, I am a merely an arrogant jerk. No matter...two weeks of daily Facebook has not caused any addiction like symptoms. I liken the experience more to hives-unwanted and annoying.
I suppose I should mention that I was pushed over the edge by a near stalker like experience. My ex-husband found me on Facebook, wanting to see me to give me a book my mother had given me with a personal note inside. I didn't respond, as he has been very creepy about our break-up over 15 years ago...still talking about me to mutual acquaintences. Plus, he was really self-important and not someone I want thinking he can step into my life now.
He, being as crass as ever, took it upon himself to track me down, and showed up unannounced at my door with the book. He never thought general rules applied to him, so I guess this is why he didn't wait for my response. As I looked at this book I got very uncomfortable. Why would he keep a book of poetry "To My Wonderful Daughter" for 15 years and through two moves? We know lots of the same people, and he could have easily handed it on to one of them to give me at any point. I mentioned this as I thanked him curtly, and he seemed to get the point that I was not going to invite him in to visit.
Yeah folks, I am so outta there!
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6 comments:
I have enjoyed reconnecting with a few high school friends, but when an ex beau asked to be my friend, I was done! I lasted about a month and haven't viewed my page in weeks. I find blogging so much more creative. The blog connections I've made are also more interesting as they are people with whom I have something in common with now as opposed to nearly 30 years ago!
Amen! I did the same thing. I had been searching for some old college friends and thought this was the best way, the next thing I know all these people from high school are on there and I can't stand all the quizzes and mafia wars and food fights...I "defriended" a bunch last week but I am keeping my account open so I can stay in touch with my close friends from far away.
It's nice to know that I'm not alone in my lack of enthusiasm where FB is concerned. It still seems like I must be missing something though, as more than half of the folks I know swear it's the latest and greatest. Maybe we're just old fashioned? Whatever the cause, I'm completely okay with it!
between the possibility of high school folks showing up AND the fact that Facebook retains the right to use your words and pictures, I'M not even going there. The IP issues seem to be ignored by a lot of people but I'd rather blog where I retain my own copyright, thank you very much.
FOr inane chatter, I quite like Twitter.
I'm only there to play Farm Town. And I have about four friends whose daily doings I enjoy reading. But I'm closed off to everyone else. I don't want to meet old college friends - can't remember their names anyway - or family, or creepy new people. (One of our Farm Town neighbours actually called her farm Cannabis Ranch! I think she was just a silly middle aged woman with a dull sense of humour, but we deleted her pretty quickly.)
I am so sorry about the incident with your ex-husband.
As far as FB is concerned -- maybe you have the wrong friends! ;)
My favorite FB use is keeping up with a friends from far away. It's true, I have no interesting in most people from my distant past, but I tend to have a lot of scattered friends, and FB gives us a way to have a "group" conversation from many different home bases. I also put out a group "heading to the beach if you want to meet us there" kind of note from time to time, if we make last-minute plans. And it's how we follow our niece's adventures at college.
I agree -- getting quiz results and mafia wars etc. is annoying. I wish I could figure out how to get rid of those but still get updates. Luckily most of my FB friends are equally adamantly opposed.
Twitter -- Twitter I just can't get.
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