I love and hate facebook. Don't get me wrong, facebook has helped me more than once. But we need to be realistic, facebook is a marketing/ad company. And as such the more information they gather about you the more money they can make off of you. I don't have an issue with that, companies & businesses have always tried to understand their customers. It helps make them better companies.
That's not why I'm weary of facebook. It's the users. I'm amazed at what people will say or reveal on facebook. Truly, truly amazed. We've invented a digital playground where barbs can be thrown from the safety of our living rooms (or basements, the pajama jihad) with little or no fear of reprisal. Here's a simple test to see if what you are about to type should be posted: would you say it to the person(s) face to face. You may say, "Why Eric that is a fantastic idea!", to which I would reply "Yeah, but it's not my idea and it doesn't really work today". That's the point, facebook users can be unfiltered.
Why? Because Facebook has the potential to become our own reality show. You know the type where those being filmed are living a real life drama? Truthfully, most of that drama is staged. The public at large has lost it's appetite for the contrite soap opera of yesteryear and has taken a shine to reality shows. We love to watch the angst of others. We love to watch people fight verbally, tossing jabs at one another with the conviction of self-righteousness. I believe if an intrepid individual created a reality show with a church's staff as the characters, Christians would be glued to their TVs. "Did you see Sister Sarah and Brother Bob go at it over the choir robes!?! My, My!"
We become our own characters in the drama. That's the power and effect facebook exerts over it's members when we are left to our own devices. But, it's not Facebook's fault, it's just a platform. We love a good platform on which we can stand and show the world our brilliance. We haven't changed much through history. In the early days of telephones most local operators were known to stay on the line and listen in on private conversations. Now we could care less who hears what we say, most believe the world would be better off if they'd just listen to them.
I grow weary seeing/reading these type of posts. I wish people were different.
Ironically as I sit in front of my PC using technology to vent my thoughts using another technological wonder, blogging. I realize my biggest fear; Me. I have to watch what I say. For no other reason than not putting my foot in my mouth. I'm better now than I was when younger. I understand now things I spoke stung me more than my intended victim. That's the lesson we all need to learn. Words bite, whether spoken, typed, texted, emailed, or video recorded. They can hang in the aether to come crashing down in the future on the speaker as a painful reminder of past pride. Many of my words in the past haunt me in the present. I so want to take them back.
James teaches a wise lesson in the biblical book that shares his name. In chapter 3 (I'll paraphrase) he says this, the tongue is wicked, it can set a forest on fire by the smallest of words. Yet it can also praise God, there is hope.
Perhaps we need a different platform, one that doesn't put us front and center.
