Keeping in Touch
Posted 04-09-2012 at 08:16 AM by LookinForMayberry
Twice now, when I've told a friend and a family member that I've stopped using Facebook, I've gotten the reply that they do it to "keep in touch" with their social circle. At one level I understand it is (was) nice to look on a personalized page and see what friends and family have posted, but I cannot think of that as "keeping in touch."
It seems to me that if remaining in contact means viewing random posts left at some point in the past, then we've grown further apart in our personal relations than I like. (Not that my like or dislike has any bearing for anyone but me.)
I noticed many years ago that I also am a bit more precise in my definition of "friend." I know many very popular people that count their friends in the hundreds. When I view their relations with their friends, I find I would classify the majority of them under the category of "acquaintance."
I define friend as someone I would feel comfortable with in very personal situations that I would be embarrassed to share with an acquaintance. I don't think of myself as a private person, but perhaps I am deluding myself in that idea.
Social masks and transparency are a topic that I probably need to explore further, but for now I suffice to say that FOR ME, keeping in touch means a real time exchange: face to face, or by phone, or even a computer "chat" where the messages are sent, received, and replied to consecutively with the attention of all parties involved.
Keeping in touch on social networks is like playing a ball game where there is only one player on the field at any time and each just picks up the ball wherever it lays and tosses it in any direction they choose. No winners, losers, and no score -- maybe that's the attraction?
It seems to me that if remaining in contact means viewing random posts left at some point in the past, then we've grown further apart in our personal relations than I like. (Not that my like or dislike has any bearing for anyone but me.)
I noticed many years ago that I also am a bit more precise in my definition of "friend." I know many very popular people that count their friends in the hundreds. When I view their relations with their friends, I find I would classify the majority of them under the category of "acquaintance."
I define friend as someone I would feel comfortable with in very personal situations that I would be embarrassed to share with an acquaintance. I don't think of myself as a private person, but perhaps I am deluding myself in that idea.
Social masks and transparency are a topic that I probably need to explore further, but for now I suffice to say that FOR ME, keeping in touch means a real time exchange: face to face, or by phone, or even a computer "chat" where the messages are sent, received, and replied to consecutively with the attention of all parties involved.
Keeping in touch on social networks is like playing a ball game where there is only one player on the field at any time and each just picks up the ball wherever it lays and tosses it in any direction they choose. No winners, losers, and no score -- maybe that's the attraction?
Total Comments 1
Comments
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It's true - social networks are caused people to actually interact with people [B][I]less[/I][/B] than ever before.Posted 04-12-2012 at 03:17 AM by DisplacedID
