Let me just state this up front: I love Facebook. It has put me in touch with people I didn't think I would ever see again. One person in particular that has made these last few months so much easier.
But.
People have forgotten how many 'friends' they have that are really no more than aquaintences. People tell things on their 'status' that shock me. True story. Last week one person announced that "Today I must go to my son's parole officer and list the violations he has committed this month. It may cost him 10 years. Its very upseting to know whats ahead for him but after repeated attempts to help him our hands are tied."
Why would you announce that?
I say all that, then I think about what I do on the blog. Is it really any different? Do I feel differently about the blog because it's somewhat anonymous? I talk about my husband, my son. But how much of a chance is there that someone who reads my blog will run into them and KNOW that is who I was talking about? For the person on Facebook, she still lives in the town she grew up in. It's very likely that she and her son will be seen by people who read that post.
I don't know.
Great point Lisa. Great point.
ReplyDeleteI've always looked at blogging like therapy, free therapy at that. It keeps stuff that is swirling around in my head flowing out instead of causing an internal hurricane. And in the past I've said too much and had to go back and remove posts for the exact same reason you just mentioned. I did print them off and have them in storage so once I find that folder it will likely bring up emotions I've forgotten. I knew I needed a reminder of my past as Mickey is so great at making me see what he wants me to see. So the purpose of that folder is to open it and read a post if I ever put my guard down or feel too comfortable with him.
But FB. I'd NEVER put anything that crazy in my status update (damn I miss FB). I'm actually thinking about coming back under just initials with a personless profile photo so I could possibly fly under the radar and only be friends with people who I really want to be friends with. I could always expose myself later (changing to my real name and put a real photo on my page....hum).
Lisa, this is a great post and a real concern eventhough the world is big....it is IRONIC how interrelated we all are.
I agree with you and GG. I actually have FB on my wireless device and I get text messages when certain friends update their status because these are just the few that I care to keep up with on a regular basis. I had one friend that was a chronic status updater (you know the kind that has to report EVERYTHING she is doing at all times during the day), so I just took her off my text messages because it was too much. But one day, she was having a bad day and was just going off on how disappointed she was that none of her friends cared how she felt today, etc. She was probably just talking about 1 or 2 people in particular, but that status was seen by over a hundred people that she has on her friends list. I think that people (including me) sometimes forget this when we update our status with a rant. I am guilty of it myself.
ReplyDeleteBut, you are right about it being a great tool to reconnect with people. I have had a good time with it.
I agree about the blogging being more anonymous then that of FaceBook. I find it like therapy as GG states and the we seem to have our own circular of friends that we trust and can relate.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good point. I sort of did that today with a post (while not parole) I told what a rough day I had teaching...ummm, one of my friends was the mother of one of my students. I WASN'T talking about her. Her daughter is an angel!!! But then, do I want to admit that some of the kids are not??? In a small town, um, NO! Of course all the kids are angels and all of them are NOT. ;-)
ReplyDeleteGood point!