Facebook

Facebook. Can't live with it, can't live without it. Which camp do you fall in? 

I actually resisted the urge to have an account until a few years ago when a friend living overseas thought it would be a good way to share photos. As I travel a lot of work, I realised it's potential. I've even reconnected with old friends across world through it. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm active Facebooker. It has become an outlet for my three obsessions (food, travel and running) and a record of some of my most memorable mish-ues (the mishmash of mishaps that only seem to ever happen to me). I also know that there are people like MOH (My Other Half) who may not seem to be active, but are definitely voyeurs. 

So what compels us to peruse and/or post on Facebook? I've read social research on the reasons why we share our lives in an open forum such as this - quest for identity; being true to your 'personal brand'; emotion; validation; attention; 'disinhibition effect' because you're literally just talking to a 'wall' instead of having to look others in the eye as you disclose your thoughts and feelings. Rightly or wrongly I don't think that deeply about it. For those of you who see my posts, you know that there is definitely nothing too deep and meaningful about them! 

Besides who are we to judge what people do on Facebook? If we don't like something, it's incredibly easy to ignore it, literally hide it or log off and walk away from it. Also let's be perfectly honest, as if you'd put a horrid photo of yourself online so why on earth would you expect anyone else to. What we each chose to put on Facebook is showing only one part of our life, but what's so wrong with that? After all you don't share everything with everyone in your life so why would you do it on social media. Moreover, Facebook shouldn't be all of our life.  

To me, Facebook (or any other form of social media) only becomes a problem if you forgo real life connections and rely purely on this online medium. On the whole, it should be a harmless bit of fun. Use it, don't use it. Post it, don't post it. Like it, don't like it. Friend, don't friend. We shouldn't sweat it. At the end of the day, it's just Facebook. 

Facebook - it's not meant to be taken so seriously

p.s. I do appreciate the fact that you may have seen the link to my blog through Facebook.