I’m not obsessed with Facebook, but I figure if I’m going to judge something negatively I should look into the matter as deeply as possible. I think Facebook is a very impersonal way to communicate, and I’m not the only one. This whole communication via short text messages as opposed to telephone conversations or face-to-face interaction is very easy and non-committal; it also feels very shallow.
Recently my brother mentioned to me a few people he knows are shocked and feel invaded by having to answer a spontaneous voice phone call when they are not prepared for the interaction. All these SMS’s, emails, status updates, Twitters and instant messengers…could they actually be taking away from true and deep human relationships?
I was sitting in a tutorial for my Writing and Editing for Digital Media class at the University of Melbourne the other day. This is a postgraduate unit discussing blog writing, Internet journalism, as well as other social networking concepts. I looked over at a couple of my fellow students and saw they weren’t paying any attention to the lecture of which the teacher was putting a lot of effort into. What were these students focussed on? I’ll tell you; they were on their Facebook accounts. ‘Face Crack’ is addictive. Why?
There are three of ‘me’ on Facebook: Jesse Somer, Jesse Somer and Jesse Somer. Who is the real one? Can you tell which one I am? Let me give you a hint; I’m not the Asian guy in sunglasses with his shirt off and a six-pack stomach looking like a male stripper. This guy is giving ‘Jesse Somer’ a bad name.
Facebook can be useful. Whilst volunteering at the Melbourne Writer’s Festival the organisation set up a MWF Facebook page to inform everyone what was going on. Unfortunately, I obtained all the important information directly to my email, so it proved unnecessary.
However, generally I get this weird notion I’m unintentionally peeking into other people’s lives, getting a view into areas I truly have no desire to see. For instance, there’s the ‘Wall’. Each person has a ‘public’ wall where they show all their communications to all of their ‘friends’. You also have the option to send private messages, but a lot of the time people don’t bother. The result is seeing what other people are saying to one another. In the old days your Mum would box you on the ears if she found you eavesdropping; on Facebook you are forced to.
I was happier when I was the only Jesse Somer.
Is this the real Jesse Somer?
(Photo taken from Facebook public page; all rights reserved to Facebook and Jesse Somer)
