When I reached high school, Facebook was gaining momentum; although at that age, it was mostly a race to see who could have the most "friends" (heavy emphasis on the quotation marks, a.k.a. literary sarcasm). And since then, there has been a slew of social media applications geared towards connecting people. Texting/SMS is also the main go-to nowadays.
Awesome (no quotation marks = sincerity). Connecting with old friends over long distances is sweet as pie, as is using the far-reaching marketing power of these systems.
As someone very picky with her socialization tactics, however, I have my reservations for the following reasons:
- Commitment: Remember (or go ask your parents about) having nothing but a landline to make plans with friends? You would dial their home phone number, which you knew by heart and could rattle off in record time, and the simple question of whether your friend was able and willing to hang out would be finalized in one swift response: yes or no. Then, unless he/she had some serious guts to call back at a later time and withdraw participation, it was pretty much set in stone that you and your respective mates would be meeting at so-and-so place at such-and-such time. There wasn't as much leniency as there is today with the convenience of text to decide that you feel too lazy or unenthusiastic about the pending get together. Today, it's just so easy to type out within 140 characters that you're running late or that you'd rather stay home in your PJs. The response, "maybe," is all too prevalent. (And yes, I myself am guilty of such behaviour.)
- Interaction and communication skills: I have witnessed with my own two vision-corrected eyeballs the effect of giving children smartphones. I was working in an office, and a family of six came in. The kids were told to take a seat while their parents filled out boring paperwork. The entire forty minutes the adults were doing their thing, each of the four children had their eyes glued to their respective phones. Not once did they look up to confirm that their fellow housemates were still alive and breathing. They were completely oblivious to their surroundings, which happened to be incredibly scenic, and their eyes were glazed over, their faces motionless, like they had lost the ability to express. This is not healthy, people.
Why only children? I remember taking a friend out for her birthday and the entire time, she texted her boyfriend, occasionally looking up from her phone to say sorry for her lack of attention. Apology not accepted. It was rude, humiliating, and I would have loved nothing more than to just leave her to text away on her own. That is not how to treat someone who has taken the time and effort to come see you in person. In fact, I think basic etiquette should be to keep your phone out of sight, out of mind as a sign of respect. - Effort and thoughtfulness: I really like Facebook, I do, almost to the point of obsession. It has become a reflex to check what's happening on my news feed every time I use my phone. But when it comes to special occasion announcements, dear Lord. Before I begin my third tirade, I would like to thank Facebook for at least notifying us forgetful ones of our friends' birthdays. Your reminder system is legit, I have zero problems with it. The actual act of wishing someone a happy birthday or congratulations, however, turns me into a raging rhino because about half of the senseless, cookie-cutter greetings you get are from people who really wouldn't give two hoots about your special day if it wasn't for the nagging reminder on the side of their screen. People who have forgotten you even exist all of a sudden write gushing, flowery sentiments as if you're the one who taught them the meaning of life. I guess something is better than nothing, but I do not tolerate insincerity so it gets my goat. I feel like it's a cop-out for putting in the effort to wish someone properly, either with a phone call or by meeting them in person to give a hug of congratulations. If you are known for being a minimalistic person in general, then go for the wall post. If you care about someone, please go above and beyond to make that special someone actually feel special.
That is all. I love my iPhone with all my heart; I would probably give it my kidney if required, but there is a time and place for these things and having been burned myself by the overuse of technology, I had the urge to write this post. I don't even think I'm being dramatic or overemotional. We should all demand a certain standard of respect and commitment from the people in our lives. Because we're worth it. L'Oreal Paris agrees.
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