One day my Aunt Gertrude was surprised when she read a post that her friend's daughter, Petunia wrote. She had admired how kind and upbeat the girl acted whenever she saw her. But the Facebook post caused her to pause. It said: "Just chilling. Was supposed to go to work but called in sick because I really want to see this movie. *^#* them!! I don't care."
I wonder if Petunia who appears on Aunt Gertrude's friend list really wants Aunt Gertrude to read her posts. Aunt Gertrude may realize that her friend's daughter, Petunia, is not as sweet as she once thought.
Does facebook sometimes leave you with a vague sense of discomfort? Are opinions sometimes shared, that you don't agree with and maybe would have been just as well off never knowing?
What is friendship?
Who is a friend?
At work yesterday, at lunch, a coworker said that in a recent post on facebook someone wrote that they were about to go to a clogging class. She told me, "They are neighbors. I know them. But they never asked me to go, so everytime I read about it on Facebook I feel left out!"
Someone once said that people who are used to lots of emotional support enjoy face book more than those who are "more on their own". I thought that was interesting but I reserve judgement. Facebook keeps extended families updated when they are separated by distance. We can find out what other people are doing and this may stave off isolated feelings. If your interactions on Facebook are positive it is a gift no doubt, but I still have some reservations.
No comments:
Post a Comment