Fuck Facebook
Naively, on January 1, 2010 I made a New Year's resolution to conquer my facebook.
That was the stupidest idea I have ever had. Like no, seriously.
Facebook, I realized only recently in one of those major psychosis inducing epiphanies, is like having an audience. Right there. Watching you. All the time. ALL. THE. FUCKING. TIME.
Logically, I knew and understood that anything that I wrote on facebook could and would be seen by anyone listed as a friend. I knew it, but I didn't really knoooow it. Does that make sense?
I am sociophobic. I have no business on a social media platform as gigantic and all-consuming as facebook. What the fuck was I thinking?
The realization that I had an audience slowly came about as I saw that people would comment on nearly anything I wrote or posted. It unnerved me, but I thought, 'It's okay, its just a part of being on facebook.' It got worse when I discovered the notes feature and started posting mini-blog-like things on there; which of course in turn would inspire more commenting. Still, in my magical little bubble of ignorance, I still told myself, 'It's okay. You got this, you can so handle it.'
When people started commenting on the shit I did, not the shit I posted, like pictures and vids of family outings, no-- the shit I did, such as: "Minumi has joined SUCH-AND-SUCH group", "Minumi likes SO-AND-SO's status", etc, etc . . .
People would comment, "I joined SUCH-AND-SUCH too! Welcome! Isn't it great?" or "Yeah! SO-AND-SO's status is sooo funny today!!"
While in normal people this would encourage a sociable response leading to positive interaction between two or more people, for me it was more like: HOMFG!?! WHAT THE HELL?!!? WHY ARE YOU STALKING MY INTERNET ACTIVITIES?!? GTFO MY LIFE!!
That was the moment I realized that on facebook you have an audience for everything you do. EVERYTHING. It's like being watched by however many pairs of eyes you have listed as your friends. There is no escape from the scrutiny. They are there all the time, being notified and able to look at EVERYTHING you do.
*CUE PSYCHOTIC MELTDOWN*
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! *Savagely claws her face off*
Facebook, you are not for me. I would much rather prefer more solitary social outlets like Livejournal, or WordPress and other blog-centric sites.
I dunno, even though my Livejournal is not a private thing, and people can still read and comment on it freely, I don't feel the social pressure of an audience here. I'm just writing to get some thoughts out of my head, or a problem off my chest with no identifiable goal in mind, and no readers to target. I don't have to watch what I say, because there are no moral constraints such as those on facebook. For example, if your grandmother can read your facebook, then you can't go about saying words like 'fuck'. Not without getting an earful, at least that is my case.
I'm free to do as I please here, when I please to do it. If I want to write an entry at 3:45am, I can do so and who the fuck will care? On facebook, I'll have several aunts or cousins asking, "NENAAAA!! What were you doing up so late? HUH? HUH?"
.
.
.
WHAT THE FUCK!?>!!!>wm:rjadjAJGLOER
IT'S LIKE INVITING A BUNCH OF CYBER GESTAPO INTO YOUR LIFE!!! GTFOOOOO!!!! DDDDDDX
And comments!! HOMG!! People would comment on my facebook, and then obligatorily expect me to comment back. OR they would send a PM about something important instead of picking up the fucking phone and dialing me, or texting it. So because I only check my facebook once a week I would miss there message, and sometimes even end up seeing them in person before I would read whatever the hell it is they wrote to me. Then I would have an angry cousin saying things like: "OYE!! Thanks for ignoring me!! I see the way you are!! Why don't you answer my facebook?!!"
.
.
.
WHAT THE FUCK?!?!!??edJEIFAUHWRFOHGRA;
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT IMPORTANT TO TELL ME, DO IT OVER THE PHONE OR IN PERSON OR SOME OTHER FORM OF INSTANT COMMUNICATION!!!
We are human beings!! We can still talk FACE to ACTUAL FACE right?!?! We don't need a cyber excuse for a book, that's not even really a BOOK to that for us, do we?!!?
*FLAILS ABOUT ANXIOUSLY FOR THREE HOURS*
On my blogs, outside of fanwork posts, people don't generally comment. If and when they do, its never with this insufferable DEMAND that I reply back to them ASAP; most of the time a reply is not even necessary. Mostly importantly, every reply has a sense of anonymity.
They don't know me, and I don't know them. I post under an alias, with no connection to my real life identity, and an icon that is more often than not an extension of what I'm feeling rather than any sort of visual representation of my real life self; the commenter in turn does the exact same.
WE DON'T NEED TO KNOW EACH OTHER'S NAMES OR WHAT WE LOOK LIKE. WE HAVE A MUTUAL RESPECT FOR OUR NEED OF ANONYMITY DURING OUR ACTIVITIES ON THE INTERNETS.
The most wonderful thing about it, is that you can spark a thread of conversation without either party having to deal with the social pressures of 'Oh shit, I'm gonna see them later, I better write back!!' It is low-key social interaction where you can decide the pace of conversation and THINK on your responses, rather then have to eject crap from your brain in that split second to avoid long awkward pauses.
THIS IS WHY I ENJOY LIVEJOURNAL. IT IS THE WET DREAM OF EVERY SOCIOPHOBIC IDIOT IN THE UNIVERSE!
I'll be sticking to you and my wordpress accounts from now on. Thanks.
That was the stupidest idea I have ever had. Like no, seriously.
Facebook, I realized only recently in one of those major psychosis inducing epiphanies, is like having an audience. Right there. Watching you. All the time. ALL. THE. FUCKING. TIME.
Logically, I knew and understood that anything that I wrote on facebook could and would be seen by anyone listed as a friend. I knew it, but I didn't really knoooow it. Does that make sense?
I am sociophobic. I have no business on a social media platform as gigantic and all-consuming as facebook. What the fuck was I thinking?
The realization that I had an audience slowly came about as I saw that people would comment on nearly anything I wrote or posted. It unnerved me, but I thought, 'It's okay, its just a part of being on facebook.' It got worse when I discovered the notes feature and started posting mini-blog-like things on there; which of course in turn would inspire more commenting. Still, in my magical little bubble of ignorance, I still told myself, 'It's okay. You got this, you can so handle it.'
When people started commenting on the shit I did, not the shit I posted, like pictures and vids of family outings, no-- the shit I did, such as: "Minumi has joined SUCH-AND-SUCH group", "Minumi likes SO-AND-SO's status", etc, etc . . .
People would comment, "I joined SUCH-AND-SUCH too! Welcome! Isn't it great?" or "Yeah! SO-AND-SO's status is sooo funny today!!"
While in normal people this would encourage a sociable response leading to positive interaction between two or more people, for me it was more like: HOMFG!?! WHAT THE HELL?!!? WHY ARE YOU STALKING MY INTERNET ACTIVITIES?!? GTFO MY LIFE!!
That was the moment I realized that on facebook you have an audience for everything you do. EVERYTHING. It's like being watched by however many pairs of eyes you have listed as your friends. There is no escape from the scrutiny. They are there all the time, being notified and able to look at EVERYTHING you do.
*CUE PSYCHOTIC MELTDOWN*
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! *Savagely claws her face off*
Facebook, you are not for me. I would much rather prefer more solitary social outlets like Livejournal, or WordPress and other blog-centric sites.
I dunno, even though my Livejournal is not a private thing, and people can still read and comment on it freely, I don't feel the social pressure of an audience here. I'm just writing to get some thoughts out of my head, or a problem off my chest with no identifiable goal in mind, and no readers to target. I don't have to watch what I say, because there are no moral constraints such as those on facebook. For example, if your grandmother can read your facebook, then you can't go about saying words like 'fuck'. Not without getting an earful, at least that is my case.
I'm free to do as I please here, when I please to do it. If I want to write an entry at 3:45am, I can do so and who the fuck will care? On facebook, I'll have several aunts or cousins asking, "NENAAAA!! What were you doing up so late? HUH? HUH?"
.
.
.
WHAT THE FUCK!?>!!!>wm:rjadjAJGLOER
IT'S LIKE INVITING A BUNCH OF CYBER GESTAPO INTO YOUR LIFE!!! GTFOOOOO!!!! DDDDDDX
And comments!! HOMG!! People would comment on my facebook, and then obligatorily expect me to comment back. OR they would send a PM about something important instead of picking up the fucking phone and dialing me, or texting it. So because I only check my facebook once a week I would miss there message, and sometimes even end up seeing them in person before I would read whatever the hell it is they wrote to me. Then I would have an angry cousin saying things like: "OYE!! Thanks for ignoring me!! I see the way you are!! Why don't you answer my facebook?!!"
.
.
.
WHAT THE FUCK?!?!!??edJEIFAUHWRFOHGRA;
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT IMPORTANT TO TELL ME, DO IT OVER THE PHONE OR IN PERSON OR SOME OTHER FORM OF INSTANT COMMUNICATION!!!
We are human beings!! We can still talk FACE to ACTUAL FACE right?!?! We don't need a cyber excuse for a book, that's not even really a BOOK to that for us, do we?!!?
*FLAILS ABOUT ANXIOUSLY FOR THREE HOURS*
On my blogs, outside of fanwork posts, people don't generally comment. If and when they do, its never with this insufferable DEMAND that I reply back to them ASAP; most of the time a reply is not even necessary. Mostly importantly, every reply has a sense of anonymity.
They don't know me, and I don't know them. I post under an alias, with no connection to my real life identity, and an icon that is more often than not an extension of what I'm feeling rather than any sort of visual representation of my real life self; the commenter in turn does the exact same.
WE DON'T NEED TO KNOW EACH OTHER'S NAMES OR WHAT WE LOOK LIKE. WE HAVE A MUTUAL RESPECT FOR OUR NEED OF ANONYMITY DURING OUR ACTIVITIES ON THE INTERNETS.
The most wonderful thing about it, is that you can spark a thread of conversation without either party having to deal with the social pressures of 'Oh shit, I'm gonna see them later, I better write back!!' It is low-key social interaction where you can decide the pace of conversation and THINK on your responses, rather then have to eject crap from your brain in that split second to avoid long awkward pauses.
THIS IS WHY I ENJOY LIVEJOURNAL. IT IS THE WET DREAM OF EVERY SOCIOPHOBIC IDIOT IN THE UNIVERSE!
I'll be sticking to you and my wordpress accounts from now on. Thanks.