So you go to a party, or you start a new job, or you meet the friend of a friend. You strike up a conversation with someone new, you like the vibe that they’re giving out, so you go home and Facebook/Myspace friend them. You peruse through their profile for a while – skimming through activities, interests, favorite books/movies/music/sexual positions. On their Wall you can get hints of their latest escapades from the comments of their friends. You cruise through pictures of them partying/drinking/hitting bongs/making out with their significant other. You know their hometown, birthday, sexual orientation, relationship standing, where they went to school, their occupation, their status (“Jay Wade is In Rainbows”), even if they’re online at that very second! 
A social network profile gives the viewer a glimpse of that person’s life: all the “important” tidbits and facts that should sum up who they are. After reading a total stranger’s profile, I sometimes feel like I know them personally – it seems like I can describe their lifestyle, their friends, hobbies, music…. Some people go out of their way to try and represent every facet of their personality on their profile JUST SO THAT anyone looking can get the BEST possible representation of their being in the form of HTML script.
Why?
We fool ourselves into thinking that if someone rattles off tens of thousands of facts about themselves that we KNOW them. From your profile I can tell if you party or study or like baseball. I don’t know if you have a good sense of humor, or if you value friendship and selflessness more than making money and being ‘cool’. I don’t know if you’re a good listener or if you spend your time talking endlessly, endlessly about yourself and superficial things that don’t matter. I don’t know your ideals, aspirations, or what means the most to you in this world. I don’t know if you are honest, or shallow, or emotionally unstable, or insecure. I don't know if you could be my best friend or my worst nemesis.
Yes, from my Facebook you will know that I like Atmosphere, I go to Notre Dame, and my birthday is November 10th. But you don’t know anything about where I come from, what I’ve been through, and what I’ve learned from it. You have no idea who I am. That goes for everyone…Don’t forget that a person’s profile is just that: a superficial glimpse, a socially acceptable façade.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Facebook that shit!
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3 comments:
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well done!
our parents' generation and those before the dawn of the voyeurestic/expositionistic revolution made friends, right!?
social networking is about finding people with similar interests to yours and trading ideas, i think. but you're right, it really does look like people are becoming reduced to their interests, categorized and filed into folders on the internet, and that is just silly.
we're flesh, not robots damnit!
It's the weirdest when you meet someone very briefly, and the next day (or that same night, merely hours later...) they have asked you to be their friend.
I like it. . soo true for most. Some people really can pick you apart just from your profile though. . But those people are scary. I'm glad you wrote it!
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