A long time ago, when I was involved with MySpace, I asked the question- why should I bother being friends online if I am already friends in real life? What conversation is more important, the one you have in private, face to face, or in public online? I wondered if adding friends there and even on Facebook was like having a collection of useless objects.
Friends and friendships are supposed to be about the mutual benefit, mutual good feelings, mutual everything. An imbalance leads to bad feelings, and eventually a parting of ways. Those same rules apply to love relationships too.
In short, what is the value of having friends online if you don't talk to them personally? What is the point of maintaining a friendship that brings you no insight, no creative spark, no comfort?
Today I am cleaning out my friends list on Facebook, and then I am going on hiatus. I find I just get bored by the ridiculous postings that offer no insight, or that make no sense because they lack context for me. My time isn't that important, but I don't like to waste it either.
Wow. So, what will you be doing on hiatus? But before you answer that, please tell me what was the most useless piece of info you gleaned off a facebook friend.
ReplyDeleteI have to start shooting again. Have to. Also, will be working out in the air conditioned coolness of 24hr Fitness, swimming at the local pool, biking wherever I can, and working of course. Not to mention taking walks with a certain Poops, spending time with Kelly and her kids, and I'm sure there are a couple of road trips to the state parks. Mono Lake, Mendocino County, Yosemite, etc. I have a FB page that is only for photos, one that has no friends attached; that is the one that will get the photos from my summer :-) and I will post in Flickr, Tumblr and here too. That FB profile is attached to my phone, so the uploads are automatic anyway.
ReplyDeleteAnd the most useless piece of information I have gotten in FB- the wheels on the bus go round and round. Spare me the little kid music hour. And constant updates! My god, there is something terribly wrong if you are a mother of two and you are updating your status, writing notes, posting non sequitur horse shit every five minutes. Take your kids to the park, or the library, or anywhere; just as long as you get off your computer and pay attention to them! Until they leave the house, your life isn't your own; kids should not have to compete with a social site for your attention! Most of the non friend updates are cool, particularly the Nikon, photography, music and Conan updates. And posts from our mutual friends and family too. But everyone else...I really could not care less.