FACEBOOK.What's the first thing you do in the morning?
Is it brush your teeth? Or have a shower? Or maybe you make breakfast first? Or finish off that assignment that's 2 weeks overdue.
Before all those chores anyways, what's that one subconscious activity that seems to happen before you even realize it's happening. Every morning without fail? C'mon. Pretty much everyone wakes up to their alarm clock, clicks the snooze button for 20 minutes and then finds themselves mindlessly scrolling through Facebook/Twitter/Instagram feed. How did I get here? When did I even properly wake up? When did I even grab my phone? Scary. I know I've never found myself in the middle of a lecture hall taking notes or reading the board slides in college and suddenly asked how I got there. So why? What is it about social networking that has such a strong hold on our attention? Why is it that before we do anything to kick-start our day, we feel the need to creep on what other people are doing, where they're doing it & who they're doing it with? Why are we so curious? Why are other peoples live so interesting to us? And why do we allow our own lives to be just as accessible to others. Curiosity killed the cat, but we're still here, scrolling our creeping hearts content. Facebook is an itch, and one that is, these days, far too easily scratched. Dare I use the word addiction? I can't remember the last time that more than one whole day went by without checking my Facebook. What's your record? Even that's a bit of a stretch for me. Mortified I know, lol.
Seriously, though. It really is frightening how much of an impact Facebook can have on even your everyday friendships. Like one minute everythings dandy, next thing you know such and such has deleted or blocked you. Yesterday we were checking in at that trendy Mongolian BBQ place in Temple Bar or creeping the guest list for our favorite club night. Today, I type your name into the search bar. You no longer exist. Apart from pictures of stuff we did or places we went, you're officially a figment of my imagination. What is that? Problems, arguments or rifts that, before Facebook would be given time to simmer and probably slowly fade away and result in a reunion or a truce now escalate to dramatic deletion or blocking. It makes everything feel so much more dramatic, so raw. Like there's literally no chance that we'll ever be friends ever again. Or maybe that's just how it feels, when you realize. YOU'VE BEEN BLOCKED. I really do believe that on the surface, it seems like Facebook advances our social agenda on a massive scale, we're invited to more parties/birthdays and nights out. We know whose going where, when they're going and who they're drinking with. It's like a telescope into peoples social calendar and even their own thoughts/dislikes/opinions on music/current events/celeb news/anything they choose to share.
One thing that makes me quite antsy is the people you were once really tight with, who you now don't talk to/see as much getting a full look in, knowing the 411 on what club nights you go to and who you're going with, or even just generally having the scope on what's going on in your life etc without actually being your friend. The people who were once 'your people'...are now the ones you put in the 'wish I could delete you' pile.You can't delete them because of social graces/FEAR OF RUNNING INTO THEM but at the same time do you really give a fuck? Coin toss, but life is defo easier if you just leave things as is. It's an awkward one. That feeling you just can't shake lingers but smell the roses get over yourself. (REALITY CHECK TIME LU) A part of you wishes they'd do you the honor, but in reality it is just not happening.
In the long run, I'm afraid I've reached the end of my tether. I, myself am on the verge of...(exhale)...RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT...deleting my own Facebook. Like what are friends anymore? Facebook makes genuine new friendships/relationships impossible. It doesn't advance or extend you in any way. It only hinders you, as far as I'm concerned. Yeah sure it's cool that I got 18 likes on a status about waking up in the middle of the night in a hot disgusting sweat, but in reality, anyone else who saw that status read it and thought about what a twat I am to share such boring news and probably hid me from their news feed...assuming I wasn't already in that pile.
There's another thing, wondering who hides your shit. Whose blood do you boil? Who grimaces when they read your status updates? Who really wants to delete you but knows that they can't? This branches out another stem of paranoia and unnecessary stress. Also, meeting new people for the first time. 5 times out of 10 you've already creeped their Facebook page upon hearing how funny they were last Saturday night or how cool their clothes are on nights out. You've already read about where they come from, where they work, if they go to college and who they socialise with. Yet, you act like you're none the wiser. We're all guilty, don't even play that card with me. The more awkward instances are the ones where you couldn't help yourself and added them even before meeting. Now that's when the introductions really are at their awkward peak, even at your drunkest. MORTIFIED FOR MYSELF. Why did I add him? You've even liked their status or something a few times.. yet, expected to act like this is the first you've ever heard of him/her. And you both go along with it. THERE. Right there, is the first block in your future 'friendship'. You both already feel uncomfortable, unless one of you is ballsy enough to break the ice and admit to recognising the other. A bold move, but one that can really turn things around. Seriously though, it's so hard to make real genuine friendships with people because of Facebook and what people will think and who will care and blah blah blah. It makes people think about everything a little too much for my liking. What happened to being natural and just meeting someone new and figuring out if you just really click. No pre-creeping. No knowing things you shouldn't already know. It doesn't exist anymore. Unless you strike lucky, you hit gold and meet one of those extinct beings, the ones that are few and far between. Those freaky non-Facebook people. I don't really know any ATM but a friend of a friend told me he met one.. once.
Seriously. Imagine your life right now, without those few people you can count on your hand that you can trust. The ones you're always going out with, the ones you ring when shits going down, the ones that will always have your back. Most of them, you've probably known before Facebook really got going. Or maybe you met them because of/through Facebook? Who knows. Imagine for a second though, do you think you'd still be as tight if you'd met after the Facebook epidemic. Do you think you'd have as genuine and real a repoire if you hadn't known each other before everybodies business became public property? Circumstances would probably be v different and there's a good chance that, No. You wouldn't be BFFs. People are interesting creatures. When they feel like they're being watched or preyed on, they back away and retreat and shy away from whatever is being expected of them because lets face it, the pressure is kind of scary. Whereas when you meet a random person on a night out, neither of you have heard of the other and you just click, it's a much more natural bond. You get on, you're up for the craic and you're together at the bar doing shots. Numbers are exchanged and the next thing yano you're going on a girls only trip to Newcastle or a shopping trip to Belfast. We're in a million pictures together and life would be weird if you couldn't ring them whenever you please. Facebook makes everything confusing. The check-ins annoy our mutual friends, maybe we're in too many pictures together and our wall posts to each other make everyone else anxxx. Who really gives a fuck? Not us, we're too busy being hungover from that sambuca when we got home last night.
Seriously though, without those people, if you were to have to start over and make a completely new bunch of pals, Facebook would be making your life x98347394 harder. Those tight knit mates you've got are far and in between so appreciate them and know that you won't find anyone like them, since Facebook has forced meeting people and forming new genuine friendships that actually mean something to you that much harder.
Ok so in reality, I'm not deleting my Facebook, because HELLO let's face it life would be a lot scarier since I'd actually have to focus on college or where I'm going in life LOL fml. Anyways enjoy the weekend boys and girls, Hope you've a great Christmas. Not that I'll ask when I see you, since I'll have already seen what Santa brought you on Instagram, or read about the flu you've contracted over twitter.
Have a good one x
