Note: It turns out I couldn’t spell phenomenon without the help of a spell check. I wonder if a subsequent post should ponder our reliance on technology…
I’m sitting in the garden for a few minutes break. No, I haven’t left Sophie inside to play with matches, knives, and whatever else she can find. She’s napping. And as I’ve done 4 full on Sophie solo days, and have 3 full on work days before the cycle nearly starts again (1 family together day this weekend), as the house isn’t an awful state (quite), as I felt very ill last night and think it was probably exhaustion, I felt I was justified to take a break in the garden, sitting on the lounger, with my kindle. And then I was tempted to put a statue update on Facebook about it sort of showing-off (but I haven’t, I’ve just written a blog instead!). I didn’t just write the status update because I really don’t like showy-off status updates, insights into a “perfect” life which I’m very sure isn’t perfect most of the time (and if it is, please let me in on the secret to getting it!). But then I came round to thinking that actually, most of Facebook is just about showing off, or getting attention, or displaying how great/awful/funny/despairing you life is. Not many people post about the mundane; the mowing the lawn, watching the news, eating a normal spaghetti bolognaise dinner. And if they did, I think quite a few people (OK, at least me) would think that they were too reliant on Facebook and not just getting on with living their life.
So perhaps we should all abandon Facebook.
Actually, no. I don’t think we should. I know that personally I need to limit my time on it, as I while away minutes (hours?) over each day just looking at photos, status updates, what people are doing, thinking, eating. When I’m at work, I rarely look at Facebook, and I don’t tend to miss anything very exciting in the course of the day I don’t check it. But I don’t think we should all abandon it completely. Here’s why.
When I joined up (back in the day y’know, when it was actually fairly new and mainly just university orientated), it was mainly for keeping in touch with people – uni friends when not at uni, home friends when not at home. I still think that is a valid reason to have Facebook (presuming you still have said friends and haven’t lost touch with 99.9% of them.. ahem). And more than those links, it’s a lovely way of keeping in touch with extended family, being a little bit more of a part of their lives and keeping them in touch with yours.
I know I’m guilty for taking a nice photo of Sophie or seeing her do something cute and immediately taking a photo, and subsequently uploading to her little group on Facebook (which people have selected to join). If I’m being honest, of course there’s a little bit of wanting to share how lovely I think she is with others. But also, I know there are some of our extended families, and friends, who don’t get to see her much (or us, but she holds more attraction somehow! I think its because she changes so much and so quickly) and so feel they are being a part of her life through seeing those photos, what’s she’s doing, how she’s developing. And I like that they feel they know her a bit more and feel a bit more connected.
So I’m going to try and limit my Facebook browsing (and replace with blogging). I’m also going to try and not post attention seeking, showing off status updates for the mere point of it. I’m not saying I’ll very good at it! But I’m not going to leave Facebook, for the reason outlined above. Or stop sharing photo’s of Sophie with the people who want to see.
I’m also going to move into the sun, the shade is a bit cool… 🙂