Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Peeping Tom - Facebook

I was dead set against it.
Wouldn't even listen as my younger sister would tell me how much she loved it.
I couldn't think of a more horrible way to waste my time then to read about old high school acquaintances
(no offense). 
Not friends - acquaintances for crying out loud. 
I didn't get it.

Fast forward a few years later and social media makes it a necessity to have a Fanpage on Facebook for your business. I was annoyed that I was forced into it, and even more annoyed when I found myself getting sucked into it. 
Why did I care what you ate for breakfast or when your child had their first bowel movement?!
 But strangely enough it was amusing, entertaining and addicting as hell. 
People that I didn't know even had a personality, were hysterically funny.
I found out early who loved to bitch and who I had things in common with. 
What was even more crazy was that it wasn't even the ones who I had expected.

It was a new way to judge people.
We all stereotype - its human nature. But now without the face or the clothes to hide the disguise,
we are all being judged on our personality or public persona.

Soo, yeahh...
that innocent remark you made last week about your husband -
has now gone through the grapevine and the whole web thinks you're getting divorced.
The weekend get away that you couldn't wait to tell everyone about,
is now being shared with 500 of your ummm closest 'friends'.
Friends that you knew, what, twenty years ago?!
They haven't changed much, right?
(where is the sarcastic font when you need it?)  

I remember growing up where the golden rule of my parents home was 'whatever we discuss in this house, stays in this house.' We didn't air 'dirty laundry'. Ever. And in this ever changing world it has not only become acceptable to do so, but encouraged.
We have all become stalkers, creepers - peeping Tom's. 
We peer into each others lives like we belong. We make opinions and judgements and then realize with fear that we are all not that different after all, no matter what high school may have labeled each of us. 
We all live in 'glass houses' and our words and comments make an impact,
regardless of how big or small we may think they are.

'Remember the days when Sunday was meant for re-couping from the weekend, chillin all day, relaxing? Not any more! Now it's laundry, cleaning, organizing for the week, cooking meals...yeah...it's fun to be an adult!

I read that quote above from the FB wall of one of my past bride's.
I sympathized. I reminisced. 
I felt compassion for the new Mom. 
I liked her more for sharing the same opinion as me. 
I silently thanked her for not making me feel so alone in this big old world.

I have come to accept and 'like' ; ) FB more.
I appreciate it - for all that it is and all that it is not.

While we (the Face Book community) may not be in each others lives on a daily basis for one another,
our words certainly are.

Use them wisely.

2 comments:

Lisa said...

My sentiments exactly....still struggling to find the "love" in it, for now its a "like" :)

Show and Tell Photography said...

lol - Thanks Lisa for taking a minute to read and comment. It makes my day!