Hey Facebook friend, keep some things to yourself
The carry-on bag policies of airlines are unfair.
”
Glee
”
is a great show and its music is being downloaded as we speak.
The Sharks won. And someone is planning to go for a walk.
These were just some of the musings and goings-on in the lives
of my Facebook friends over a 24-hour period earlier this week.
Hey Facebook friend, keep some things to yourself
The carry-on bag policies of airlines are unfair. “Glee” is a great show and its music is being downloaded as we speak. The Sharks won. And someone is planning to go for a walk.
These were just some of the musings and goings-on in the lives of my Facebook friends over a 24-hour period earlier this week.
Is any of this news earth-shattering or worthy of front-page coverage. Nope. Do people care about it? Maybe. Will I get to read more random song lyrics posted with no context? Definitely.
Social networking for some people is more about sharing themselves with others than caring what others have going on in their own lives. These sites offer a place to vent, to praise, to criticize, to brag, or to engage in virtual conversation. Many people post random thoughts in the hope of getting a response or a “like” from one of their “friends,” some of whom they may not even know.
Web sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube have allowed anyone, anywhere to share anything about themselves at any time. And I mean sharing anything.
Candidates for San Benito County sheriff and the Board of Supervisors have used Facebook to reach out to constituents and potential voters. They want people to “friend” them and then to “become a fan of” them so the candidates can use technology to share their platforms or send out reminders about fundraising events.
It’s free, it’s quick and it’s a wise use of resources.
My policy, as a working journalist, is that I will accept a “friend” request from a person who is a candidate for office if I know them and want to be their friend, but I will not “become a fan of” them, even if I am a fan. It’s my way of trying to maintain objectivity and keep a professional distance.
As for my other Facebook friends, those walls are gone.
These friends fall into various categories.
There are the “here’s my daily itinerary” friends, who give a detailed account of what they plan to do. “Sunny day, breakfast then shower, get dressed, get in car, go to work, do some work, update Facebook, leave work, get home, eat, check Facebook to make sure people read about my day, go to sleep.”
I have the political commentator friends, currently anti-Obama types believe the world is going to come to an end with the passage of the health care bill and that we are becoming socialist/communist and they have the link to a blog or Fox News report to prove it.
There are the “Ha, ha, I live somewhere better than you and I’m going to tell you about it every day” friends. “Awoke to seagulls and the crashing of waves. Getting in convertible for cruise down PCH. After bike ride and walk on beach, will have lobster and caviar on porch as sun sets on the Pacific.”
I awoke Wednesday to the sound of the Hollister Disposal truck emptying my trash. That fact wasn’t worth posting.
Facebook is great for wishing people a happy birthday without spending $2.99 on a card and 40-something cents on a stamp. Frugality and timeliness mixed with thoughtfulness and social acceptability is a good thing.
Some people use Facebook to post jokes, or what appear to be jokes.
“May the Fourth be with you” was posted on May 4; you know, the fourth of May. It was more of a “ha ha” than an “LOL.”
As a “slice-of-life” newspaper columnist, I guess I’m not too different than a serial Facebook poster, as my life is pretty much an open book – once a week. I still prefer in-person friends to Facebook friends, though it is nice to keep up to date on what my high school or college acquaintances are up to. Facebook friends are easy-come, easy-go with just a click of a button.
If I don’t want to hear the ramblings and musings of my Web friends, I can remove them from my life with a simple mouse click. My real-life friends and I are stuck with each other, bad jokes, pointless updates, corny song lyrics and all.
Adam Breen writes a blog at http:thebreenblog.blogspot.com and teaches newspaper and yearbook classes at San Benito High School. He is a reporter for The Pinnacle and former editor of The Free Lance.
