Yeah, I know. Either you're on there already, and maybe read this blog a few weeks late because FB and its instant status updates are how you *really* keep in touch.... or you've heard of this FB thing and might log on someday soon (and you're probably related to me). If it's the latter, it's safe to say that you are not a "digital native", which means that you grew up with the internet and google and FB as part of the growing up package. I am not a native (only one of the ways I show my soon to be middle aged self), because the internet came out when I was in college. I text, but not tweet. I blog and Facebook, but can't write HTML or create JAVA and webpages and the like. Here's the thing: I like my internet to have some usefulness.
Which means that I'll surf to learn stuff, but when we start talking about social networking, I think... why? At first it was fun, finding out what folks were up to or hearing the daily updates of my neighbor. I didn't need the news or the weather reports, because my friends' status updates would tell me what I needed to know. But the "friend list" grew, and grew, and grew. And people I see in real life were getting offended that I hadn't seen their vacation photos: "I put them on Facebook, didn't you click thru?" Um, no, because I missed that day. And everytime I log in, I see so many other interesting things that I forget about your photos until I see you again, and... well, then, isn't this awkward. Again.
See, here's the odd thing about facebook or twitter or social networking (odd for me, at least). It's like each of my friends has a personal TV cable channel. And when I log in, I see the "guide" that rotates the most recent or most "popular" (as defined by FB) updates and notes. But what if I never log on about the time you, my favorite friend, are posting? How do you control (like DVR) your favorite feeds?
These are rhetorical questions. Because even if you can give me an answer now, it'll be different in a month or two. So we have this layer of having to continually adapt and learn a new system to access similar information. And then add to THAT all the market research/info sharing/access permitted by companies. It makes no difference if my own profile is on lockdown and I never use gaming apps because for every friend who does so, THEY are sharing MY info.
So, what's a hermit wannabe like me to do? I considered jumping ship entirely, and scuttling the account. Every time I get close, something GOOD comes out of FB, like a new friend saying hi or a volunteer contacting me to donate something, or a nephew posting photos. Connections. Someone said to me the other day that our whole life is about trying to restore the connection we had in the womb. I'm not sure if I'd state it quite like that, but yeah, connections.
How do we maintain our connections, nurture our relationships in today's virtual society? How do you use online tools to create your friendship world? Are you seeking to reinforce existing, everyday relationships? Connect with long distance family and friends? Broaden your circle to people you haven't met and likely won't spend much time with geographically? It's all quite interesting...
