I have been on Facebook for fifteen years now. It's a rather amazing thing really, a habit formed, one could say an addiction. Like all addictions it can take over your life. Fortunately that isn't the case with me, what I have is a habit. Whether that habit is good or bad is certainly subjective. Each morning when I open up my account, I usually go check that memories page to see what I was talking about last year. I'm reminded of certain topics that were of concern back then. Like everyone else I do tend to forget about those hot button issues. Some of those issues did cause a great deal of concern, even anger at times, but now I've forgotten. Tells me that stuff wasn't all that important and gives me a different perspective before starting to write for the day.
Yes, I did look today and decided to post a bit of poetry I had written for my brother. It was on that memories page from eight years ago. As I recall my brother requested that I write something for him. He carves decoys as a hobby and I used that for the theme of the poem. I don't remember if he ever acknowledged receipt of that or if he liked it. For reasons unknown to me he has chosen to not communicate with me anymore, it's just the drama of life I suppose. I will not be spending much time worrying about that. It did serve as a reminder though, how things change over the years and how quickly those years pass.
As I read those memories and browse the comments left there I do see changes. It is a microcosm of the last fifteen years. I see "friends" that have come and gone. I see the different interactions and inactions that caused some events. I've connected and reconnected, and in a few cases disconnected. Yes, it is just like real life in some ways and quite different in others. I don't see where I have changed much, but realize I'm looking in the mirror. I'm saying the same things, just in different ways. I have seen those comments that I made received in vastly different ways by the same people! What I mean is, agreement went to disagreement, when my comments became uncomfortable. In my view, the truth wasn't being well received.
I think the most surprising thing for me is the political divide. I'm amazed at how vile and vicious people have become in defending their political positions. The name calling, the accusations and just outright aggression is startling. Growing up I was told, don't talk about politics or religion. That is sound advice for casual conversations, for those scenarios I call, polite company. Politics is certainly on full display on Facebook. I shouldn't complain as I frequently join in with all of that. Religion is occasionally mentioned but generally avoided and I wonder why that is? Is religion to be the last bastion of civil discourse? There are those that attack that, but they are in the minority at the moment.
Facebook is another world. You are safe from physical attack, safely fortified behind that keyboard or keypad. You can change your "profile" to suit your purpose, at least to those that don't know you. You can deceive others quite easily. As for me, I take all of that with a grain, as the saying goes. Just call me skeptical. I have that same attitude when it comes to politics and politicians, I am skeptical of their motivations. And like everyone else, I want to hear what I'm saying to myself from those folks. I'm not really much on promises, I want to see action. You make a promise, you have to keep that promise and I'm not taking excuses when you don't! Don't make a promise you can't keep, it's as simple as that.
Social media can cause a lot of damage as well. Not so much for me as I'm retired, not seeking any position or in search of followers and fame. I certainly hope they are teaching our children about the harm in social media, the harm to their futures. It is exposing our children to more adult themes than I care to even think about. It is also presenting new "ideas" to them that aren't always such a great idea. It's a strong influence, a bad influence in my opinion. There's an old saying that holds true, " the road to hell is paved with good intentions" and social media doesn't have the best of intentions in the first place. It's a business like all others and profit is the driving factor. It's all about views and participation.
Did you know that Meta, the digital platform that operates Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and a few others makes 165 billion dollars in profits. The vast majority of that is through advertising. People certainly must be buying a lot of what is being sold. The big question here being, just what are they selling? Here's a hint, it isn't a physical product. The physical products are being offered as a diversion, a distraction, and in some cases a psychological release from those platforms. You need to buy something to make yourself feel better. Maybe you need to buy a flag or a banner or button to display your support for whatever it is you are currently involved with on social media. Show your support! Showing your support is important, it's your duty, it's an obligation to society. If you are not showing support, you are a part of the problem. So, I'll ask again, what is being sold?
Believe it and it works.
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