I recently made a statement that would seem by the many reactions to be a signal of a problem. I am cutting way back on my Facebook time. The reactions were interesting and even touching. Some seemed to think there was something wrong or that there was some kind of personal problem that precipitated this decision. Let me first dispel that notion. There is nothing wrong….well that wasn’t wrong before the decision anyway.
First a few words about Facebook. On the surface this type of communication and conversation seems pretty harmless and fun and on the surface it is. But dig deeper and you see the problems. Facebook has become a major advertiser that constantly observes and gathers data about each user and aims ads in each user’s direction based on that data. Facebook has also become a real political machine of sorts but the problem is that much of what is purported simply isn’t factual or is so heavily spun towards a certain agenda that it is almost ridiculous to read and believe anything on face value. That being said, there are just too many people online that do just that and that is the end of their examination of facts. To me that is a dangerous recipe for our country in that the political power in this country will belong to the believers of Facebook.
Another aspect of Facebook is it seems to have transformed what friendships are and are not. In my past, a good friend was someone I could talk to anytime about anything and get support and guidance and they could count on me as well for that. Now the best friend you have has the fastest download and upload speeds. This just doesn’t seem healthy to me and it seems to push the notion forward that personal connection is now directly proportional to baud rate. Technology has jumped in leaps and bounds in the area of making the world a smaller place but I’m afraid it has not made the world a closer place and I believe it has actually widened personal disconnection.
Now, to be fair, Facebook is not all bad. I have connected, albeit electronically and in brief words, to many in my past and there is a sort of comfort in hearing from old friends and knowing that some things do not change. By that same token some of these people I follow never really knew me very well growing up and some had no interest in knowing me so it would seem odd that suddenly they want to be “friends”. Again I guess it boils down to what I conceive as a friend and a Facebook “friend” and how they really do differ.
Now this paragraph is not directed to any one individual or group but it just speaks to another interesting phenomena that has evolved from Facebook. Pictures. Pictures of every detail of our lives. Pictures of our homes, food, clothes, cars, babies, weather, etc., etc., etc. They even make an attachment for your phone now that is a kind of telescopic boom to attach your phone to in order to make more interesting “selfies”. Facebook has taken self-absorption to a new level. I remember when a picture was a really prized possession. Now we are so inundated with pictures of everything in our world that they have lost their special quality of being individually special. I know this kind of saturation of pictures and videos will not change and I also know many of you are rolling your eyes saying boy is this guy behind the times but it is something that I have observed over these past couple years.
So to conclude, I am OK. I still value each of my family and friends very highly. I am going through a sort of personal change and challenge that is causing me to rethink and refocus what I am doing with my time and thus determined Facebook was taking too much of it. I expect I will return once I get a few things worked out so until then, love, laugh and live your lives and treasure your true friends.
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