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Marni's World

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Marni

United States

August 3, 2010

I have a confession to make. Perhaps it isn't so much a confession as an admission of how out of the loop (out of touch) I am with modern society. What I am trying to say is that I am not on any social networking site, well, except for this one, but this is academic, whereas Facebook is not. Frankly I was on Facebook for a few months and it terrified me. I thought it was so weird that people I hadn't talked to in fifteen years could all of a sudden be there requesting my friendship. It meant they had searched for me , right, and while I suppose I could think that was flattering, it really freaked me out.

I have family all over the country and I would love to be able to use it as a way to keep in touch with them, but that is a slippery slope. I could limit my contact to out of town friends only. The problem, the real problem as I see it with Facebook or any other site like it, is that most of my friends are using it as a way to notify us of anything that is going on in their lives. For example I recently missed out on my friend's baby shower because I wasn't on Facebook. I didn't even know they were having one because that is the only way they told people about the shower. I was a little dismayed at first and then I realized I am the only one not on Facebook. Of course that is how they notified people because everyone else they would want to be there would be in the know.

Now I am ranting about this because I feel like I missed the boat. All of a sudden we don't call or e-mail each other, we just Facebook information? Is this the tipping point and I missed it and now I can never catch up? Those of us that aren't on are out of luck. I think about getting back on and then I remember all of the reasons I didn't like it in the first place. What is a gal to do? I either stand tall and continue to miss out on important events or I join again and dodge friend requests and constantly monitor my on-line persona. It is a weird and wonderful age we live in but sometimes I think I'd rather stay off the grid living a life of simplicity. Perhaps that is archaic but I don't know that I'll feel any closer to people being back on Facebook. I will just be better informed and more paranoid.

More entries: Yet Another Athlete in the Headlines (5), Major Life Change (4), Oh a Camping I will Go! (7), Be Careful What You Say When It Comes to That Special Day (12), A Weekend Wasted!! (8), A New Year, A Not So New Me (5), Thoughts on the "Occupy" Movement (7), Heartbreak and Forgiveness (3), Advice on Your Wedding Day (5), The Death of Osama Bin Laden (3)

View all entries from Marni's World >

02:49 AM Nov 23 2011

saraguo
China

Is that true?It is unbeliveable.

12:14 AM Sep 19 2010

Sodoo

Sodoo
Mongolia

I haven't an account on Facebook too.

But I have an account on the site vkontakte.ru. It's a russian site. As I'm living in russia there are in my contact list only my friends which I know. (former classmates, the friends which I had when I lived in Moscow etc.)

And the second account is here on Ebaby. I'm here cause I want improve my english, to communicate people all over the world on english and I like it.

But they always ask me if I have a profile on facebook. 

I think a lot of people have an account on facebook.But I won't be there.

I will just here, cause I love Ebaby :D

04:25 AM Sep 12 2010

vijay raj

vijay raj
India

 Is that so?  wow!

06:29 AM Aug 20 2010

Bogle

Bogle
Germany

I associate all too well with what you're saying here.  Everyone and their brother kept asking me if I had a facebook, but that's the problem...everyone.  There are plenty of people I don't WANT to find me.  And I don't mean some long lost enemy or some such.  I mean those people who are cordial enough but likely to bore me to tears.  Or maybe I don't really like them so much but naturally don't inform them of the fact.  And besides, I am not online THAT much.  I'm just not.  Your friend that informed people of a baby shower ONLY through facebook...that's pretty sad.  You didn't miss out, she did.  Ultimately most people in this country (to say nothing of others) still don't use it and likely never will.  After a few years of this and telling everyone I didn't have one, I created one under a fake name solely to talk to one particular girl.  Things didn't work out and...I was friendless on fb.  There's a local family I am friends with and a 12 year old girl kept asking me to befriend and I didn't.  One day at a deli I walked away from my laptop for a moment and she sent herself an invitation from my account.  Because she was being proactive and thinking outside the box, I let her stay :P.  But then I made several Scottish friends who asked me over and over and then I started managing a band over there.  So finally I decided based on this to create one, but I made a rule (that which you mentioned actually) to not add any locals.  At first I felt bad as a pile of people began to build up hoping for confirmation.  Now...now I look at it and laugh.  And yes I can look at it...I don't click ignore because I like to see them outside the gate.  I have just over 20 friends on there and a few of them I didn't know prior.  I find it horribly gay for a local to want to be friends on fb.  You have my number...you know where I live.  Just call me.  I've heard a couple of times before about people notifying others of something over fb.  In a word...pathetic.  And nobodies fault but their own.

I wouldn't stress over someone searching for you from the past.  I did such searches out of sheer curiosity (I requested no one).  All it likely means is that someone liked you once upon a time and you made a lasting impression and they would like to see if you're still out there.  It's nothing uncommon.  It's either that or they've become a serial killer.  One of those 2.

I've also avoided television (though I do like netflix and film in general...and I know there are some good things on tv, but I prefer not to spend my life sitting in a room staring at a wooden box that doesn't know of my existence until I die).  I read zero news.  I think I only heard the presidents voice one time actually.  Some might say that's too disconnected and I can't in good logic argue with them, but I prefer it this way.  It's a personal choice of avoiding social programming and it works like a charm.  That last bastion of defense was the magazines at the check out stand.  I had to discipline myself to not read the various headlines (not that I had interest but they draw your eyes).  Soon everyone started looking ridiculous..especially on magazine covers.  And the social norms and political correctness are all the more repulsive.  On many topics people don't think the same as they did in say, the 80's.  Did they change?  No, society did...and many accepted what they were told as gospel truth.  Not sure if I'm still making sense :).  At any rate, I prefer face to face over facebook, and some friends in the living room instead of the box.

And you know...you could always use a fake name and just add those you like.  That's the solution...though depending on your electric time, you may still miss out on something that some poor sap with no social skills attempted to tell you.

Thanks for the read.

06:03 PM Aug 12 2010

Marcelolic

Marcelolic
Brazil

Hey "librian" girl :)

My name is Marcelo and I really enjoy your character in the soup operas and I think you a cool (even you have done the "bad girl" hihihi)

Congratulations and keep like that,a charming girl :)

Little kisses,

Marcelo.