Facing It

 

I cut yesterday's blog off because it was way too long. Usually frivolous ideas don't require that much explanation. Today I will be pithy (which I hope means concise, yet entertaining, but I'm not going to look it up.) My blog goal is to keep it short so that my reader can walk away thinking, “That might not have been interesting, but at least there wasn't much of it.”

Today you get to hear about my disappointment over facebook. I like social networking for two reasons: playing Farmville and reading other people's gossip. Lately there has been a serious drop off on both fronts.

Farmville, as well as other games that require a community, has been ruined by fb's new 'time line' format. Sad, but true, if I can't access my neighbor's bunny eggs, what's the point in playing?

The gossip issue is a lot more complicated. For one thing, what personal information can really be posted for the world to see? Oh, sure, my 'friends' who I only know from profile pictures of their children or dogs want to share their most scandalous dramas, but some residual concept of personal privacy holds them back from writing enough details for me to repeat. So they are reduced to such things as: I shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning or are nightshade berries really deadly?

My news feed is filled with cute dog and cat pictures, 'shared' political posts, or pictures of stranger's babies, and of course, the infuriating “If you aren't a jerk you will repost this” posts about cancer, diabetes, child abuse, animal abuse- I might as well stop there because everyone reading this has experienced it for themselves.

I still log on in everyday to play a word game with an old friend and look for posts from real- life friends and relatives. For instance, my niece enjoys wearing odd socks. Since she lives in another state, I would have no other way of knowing about this hobby. Thanks to social media, I know when second cousins go to Texas and if a country road in Manitoba has washed out, so I guess I could say it enriches my life.

However, in general, I think that a better social media is still waiting to be discovered. Like most people, my friends and family are scattered across the world so even though I really would like to gather socially with them, it isn't likely I will get the chance until someone figures out how to give an on-line party.

Nancy Sherer

 

 


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