Facebook, we need to talk
Last night I posted another status update on Facebook. Informing my Facebook friends that at the end of this month I will be terminating my account. Urging them to jot down my contact details and maybe even send me an email to say, “Hi!”
Without delay that status updated was liked and commented on. Of course, I saw the humour in the comments, but unfortunately I also see the irony in them too — reasons to why I’m leaving Facebook.
When you get a new mobile number, some might be tempted to send a text to their contacts. Informing them that the existing number will not be in use and you will be only available on this new number. How many do you think will send a text back to the old number? Probably not many, I hope. But I would assume most people would just shake their head at.
So why comment on a post that will not be paid attention to, especially when advised to use another form of communication?
I’ve already made up my mind tho. When I logged in to Facebook last night, it was kind of entertaining to have a gander at some of my friends updates, but then again, not really. Over the last two weeks without Facebook I discovered it really has no value at all to me in regards to communication. It adds nothing to my life.
And I just hate being part of something “because everyone else is.” That kind of “reasoning” just makes me cringe.
I also discovered how valuable my friendship is to some while being away from Facebook. Extremely few got in touch with me after I first said I might leave Facebook. I suspect this is the real reason a lot of people are afraid of leaving Facebook, that they will find out that only 10 of their 500 friends truly value their friendship.
Instead of focusing on friendship as a relationship, we have made it into a number game — bragging points if you will. It’s not about nurturing a good relationship, it is about who has the most “friends” online.
We humans are a pathetic excuse for a species.
