What is it about Facebook that makes us all a little bit voyeuristic? Have you noticed how much of the minutiae we all share about our lives these days? I’ve been doing it for a living longer than Facebook has been in existence, so I’m used to the tell-all, share-all, and so are my kids, but it has become something of phenomenon.
Commonly, my status on Facebook is “Ack.” It’s a generic term that goes up whenever it gets to be late enough that Dave is cooking dinner and I’m still tied to my laptop trying to finish an article or develop a publishing schedule for a new blog client.
Here are the most recent updates from some of my friends –
“Honesty may be the best policy, but it’s important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy.”
“Our golden tickets have arrived! I CAN’T WAIT!”
“Getting started on a transcription/article project on cosmetic dentistry. Yup, this is the ‘”amazingly fascinating’ stuff that pays the bills! LOL”
“Who’s all going to graduation tonight? I’d rather not sit JUST with my family.”
“I am tired of all this rain, I just want to be able to enjoy the sun and warm weather.”
And oh, the pictures! Everyone shares pictures of everything they do. I have 22 albums on Facebook spanning the last few years.
For me, these aren’t meaningless statements or pointless attempts at vanity. These are the little moments that keep us connected and let us be a little bit a part of each other’s lives across the miles. We post on Facebook and Twitter when we’re sick; we share special moments. We have the opportunity to wish someone a happy birthday whose name isn’t carefully carried from one year’s calendar to the next.
Some people say we share too much information. Some say it’s all a waste of time. I say thanks to Zuckerberg and others who have made the world a small enough place that I can feel close to the people I care about even when we’re far apart.
Shadra makes her home in Bath, New York – 2,318 miles from her closest family member.