Facebook

I am often reminded of all the many things that I hate and love about Facebook. 

Here are a few of the things I somewhat hate:

1. Relationship statuses. 

It's not that I mind knowing if someone is 'single' or 'in a relationship' or 'married', but that as soon as that status changes everyone is all up in your business. I suppose it is nice to have that heads up sometimes but there are few things I dislike more than to have people pretend to care by posting pity comments on a "so-and-so is now single" status or to try to make the person feel better by putting their ex down. Our world is so obsessed with putting a label on things and becoming "Facebook official" is just one more. 

2. Personal advertisement.

Oh gag. I get so tired of the "woe is me" statuses where people are putting themselves down to get a comment of support. It also gets old to look at perfect profiles that are practically friendship and dating resumés. If you feel the need to fish for a compliment... please don't do so quite as publicly.

3. Limits face-to-face interaction
This goes back to my Talk to Me post. People are dying to talk to each other. One reason FB is so popular is that people are screaming for social interaction. For comfort. For some feeling of worth and love. I really like what my aunt posted as a status (ironically) one day:
"Years ago when your mind was troubled in the dark hours of the night and you felt sad and alone if you were really lucky you had a friend that didn't mind to much if you woke them, or you called a crisis line or maybe you reached out to God in prayer.... Now we reach for the iPhone and post. Wow
Times.... They are a changing."
I miss having to make phone calls (as much as I hated them) if I wanted to talk to someone. So often now I send a text or message or open a chat window. It is crippling.

Here are a few things I really like about Facebook:

1. Information
How great is it that in a matter of seconds hundreds of people can share the same information? Whether it's an invite to an event coming up or an announcement or a news article.. I can have it all compiled on one website. It's so easy to spend 2 minutes setting up an event rather than calling or texting the 50 people I'm inviting. It's definitely helped my social life when I am bored one night and within 5 minutes can find 2 or 3 things going on. I absolutely love it.

2. Long distance communication.
I can stay in contact with hundred of my EFY kids or people I've met on trips from around the world. With one click I can get a glimpse into what's going on in Mau Village in Fiji where I helped build flushing toilets. I can share a scripture with one of my EFY groups. I can check who is working up at my scout camp in Beaver, Utah. So much reward for such a little effort.

3. Simplified stalking
You know that "close friends" tab on the side? I like to refer to that as my simplified stalking tab. I don't even have to go on someone's wall to find every single thing they've been doing. FB complies everyone's information onto one news feed just like I ask.

So those are my feelings about Facebook. I know this is a totally random post but I'm sure you can all add your own 'Hear hear!' to a few of these.