So the other night I was on FB ( f * c e b o o k ). It was a kind of active night--my cousin wrote something, an old friend did as well; new baby pictures to gaze upon--
I decided to pull up the "online friends" screen. I looked at it and started to process who was on--who I was at that moment connected to--who I "know what they are doing at this moment, because, uh, they are on their computer." Who was I connected so nonchalently with?
Two dear nursing school friends who I could pick up with as if we hadn't been apart--though we haven't seen each other in at least 25 years; my earliest childhood friend (from birth); my niece; my cousin's daughter; two cousins; an old homeschooling friend; two current-day friends; current work colleagues, a friend from our days in Africa; a young man who was in our youth group (well, he's not young anymore); a new missionary friend who just killed a snake in her kitchen in far away Africa; the son of a former boss; an old friend who handed down her baby boy clothes to us; and a college friend who I used to work with in the college kitchen before his draft number came up so low he quit school and joined the navy (I found that out on FB). That's it for the moment, but more names jumped on and off even as I was collecting these.
Kind of a weird thing. It brings together the past and the present, connections from all aspects of my life. I saw photos of new dogs, new grandbabies, Easter photos, mother-daughter banquets, family photos ...
This is all on a random evening--just 15 minutes of my time. Maybe its just too much connection... too much information.... Probably. But it is such fun.
It is an odd to me form of community but it's a neighborhood of friends and family right at your finger types. Will Email be defunct soon?
ReplyDeleteSome people communicate through FB
to me and I think it's odd to communicate back to all of the world!
Pros and cons to technology. Certainly it brings distance to your doorstep. It's also a place to see photos, that are owned by FB!
Bonnie
It is odd, but maybe here to stay. Some do use it to communicate and even network for work. Not sure what I think about it all, but it's there and I would not be in touch with those that I am if it weren't. But maybe that would be fine too, but for a people person it is hard to resist. You do have to watch what you put on... it's part of the future already here.
ReplyDeleteI don't like email type messages on my Facebook main page..I prefer regular email or using the inbox where no one else can access. I try not to advertise being away although hopefully the only ones seeing my fb are friends..I wish I could delete some now, but I am more selective..Technology is so convenient, but a bit frightening..
ReplyDelete