Facebook has become a constant steam of demands that you "watch this video," "like this sick child's photo to magically cure her disease," "check out this company," or "play Farmville with me now!". Even worse, it's often filled with political and religious attacks/assertions like "Christians are idiots" or "If you're not Christian, you're an empty shell of a human being" or "all Republicans are assholes" or "Democrats are stupid."
These people are social media Jehovah's witnesses and I am ducking for cover behind my couch.
There's no filter on Facebook because YOU are supposed to be the filter. You aren't supposed to share every thought, emotion, judgement or feeling and you sure as hell shouldn't post it. How about a little filtering?
It's social media. Socializing should be fun! But lately, Facebook doesn't feel social. Let me ask you this...at a party, how do you socialize? When you see someone you haven't seen in a long time, what do you ask them? Do you run up and say "tell me your religious views on reproductive rights" or beg that a friend tell you the last 4 articles they read on Yahoo!? I didn't think so.
I ask people about their babies, their wedding, their family. I ask how work is, how they feel, what life is like from their vantage point. I listen as my friend tells me about the new house she bought, or another tells me about her mother who's been ill. I listen as my friend (who is a pastor) tells me of what she's doing in the youth community. I squeal as I hear the story of a friend's engagement in Italy and I hug the friend who's going through a breakup. That is what socializing is.
I know...I do the same thing on occasion. I post links to this blog, an occasional video, and even an article or two. BUT, the vast majority of my posts are about me and what's going on in my life. I'm assuming you care that I had surgery, lost 50 pounds, went on a great date or had a crappy day. But do you care that I'm Buddhist? Democrat? Single? Fiscally moderate? Like the color red? Do you care what I ate for dinner? Do you want to know if I'm mad at my sister/ brother/father/friend? Should we all air our dirty laundry on Facebook and spew hateful messages about others, their views, their religion? I don't think so. I think we should all try to be a little more social and a little less Jehovah-y, dropping by on a Saturday afternoon uninvited with a copy of Watchtower.
I am your friend because I want to be YOUR friend. You'll notice I don't have 1,500 friends on Facebook. That's because I don't care about 1,500 people. I care about maybe 300 or 400 people. And you're it. YOU. You have a direct link to me everyday via the iPhone in my hand ~16 hours a day. A link into my head, into my world, into my life. Isn't that delightful?
Please, don't use that as an opportunity to shove your religious or political views down my throat. That's what Jehovah's Witnesses do...I'm minding my own business on a Saturday afternoon and they're suddenly on my porch, wanting to talk about Christ Our Lord. Interestingly, they never want to leave me their home address so I can drop by their house later to chat.
I love you.
I'm your friend. But I am never, EVER going to ask for your thoughts on God, politics or play Farmville with you.
It's your turn to say something.
Please...make it interesting.
