I don’t know which has done more damage over the last few months--social distancing or Facebook. The combination of the two have weakened my personal relationships.
I found I spend more time on Facebook, which has soured me on the medium considerably.
Allowing for the fact that FB is basically a system to share personal announcements or push an agenda, the recent monotony of “share this” has worn me down. Folks are yelling through megaphones to let me know they're "woke."
 |
| Pixabay |
Those posts don't feel like overtures of friendship. They don't sound like invitations to a conversation. Indeed they're no more personal than a wave from a nodding acquaintance. The writers have become epassers-by, part of the parade driving through my livingroom with signs hanging out the window.
I realize too often I am just as annoying. My posts are all about me. I want your attention, your affirmation, your agreement. I want you to listen, AND to care.
I congratulate myself that at least I'm not seeking "followers," one step down in the degeneration of electronic relationships. (Did you know followers can be purchased? But some sites sell fake followers, so beware.) It's not new. Remember the girls who passed around their high school yearbooks to get the most “Be good” notes, assuring themselves of their popularity?
If Facebook has made me only an attention-seeker, I AM a low quality friend.
If I sound like a megaphone and I leave emojis instead of a personal note on one of your posts, I apologize.
Heaven forbid that I mistake it for friendship. Be a friend and call me on it.
I LOVE THIS POST. I removed FB from my phone just so I don't spend so much time on it. I do think FB had replaced our local hang out time at Starbucks...we used to people watch and meet friends for coffee. Now we just drink our coffee alone and people watch via FB and sadly, post and repost things that may not be all that uplifting. Thank you for writing this post.
ReplyDelete