Saturday, January 31, 2009

Theory on Facebook Status – “This feeling that I’m unwanted …”

So, it’s a typical Jameson Saturday night, which means we are home. Syd is sleeping. I am enjoying a glass of wine and watching Frasier reruns. And Leon is getting his message perfected for PowerHouse tomorrow.

And I’m aimlessly cruising Facebook; slightly bemused by the random nature of the Statuses of all of my friends living in that virtual community.

Actually, lately, I’ve been really considering the whole philosophy that lurks within the notion of the Status Post … is it really the idea that we are (culturally) amusing ourselves to death, or is there something more profound at work in our need to let everyone know what we are up to …

As I embark on a Twitter campaign for work – unpacking this voluntary-offering-up-a-GPS-of-self has me even more intrigued. But nonetheless, tonight I was scrolling through the Status Updates of my friends – the absolute variety of their experiences was stunning. A rundown is interesting —And I’m not saying this is profound, but I think there’s something more to say about …

XXX is going on a hot date tonight!!!

XXXX is wiped.

XX shoveled 18in of snow off the entire driveway, sidewalk, and deck. It is now clear to move in.

X was on tv. haha!

XXX wonders if there's a special prize if you get 2 seasoning packets in your ramen noodles?

XX is playing hide and go seek with America's economy, and its a good hider.

X is glad that his 3-yr-old daughter is finally home from the hospital after a long ten days!

XX is laughing it up.

XXX It's never too late to realize what's important in your life--and to fight for it.

And then … a student wonders if there is anyone out there for her, because she has this feeling she’s unwanted.

Well. That makes you stop and wonder.

The Facebook Status – the awkward, honest-yet-contrived overview of your cross-section of American-Global life, all in a matter of seconds.


Google it - and countless blogs are already pondering the theory - and countless authorities are already defining the update addiction so many Facebookers must be confronting.

I don’t know that I have anything to say about this – necessarily … but, it seems to me that the flocking of American culture to Facebook and the need to update one’s status on an hourly, daily, monthly, minute-ly moment is somehow akin to the classic “cry for help.”

That’s, too dramatic, but the question is: for whom do we post our status?


Self? Others? … I honestly am not sure about my own response to that question.

And I guess the deeper issue is, truly, is anyone actually paying attention …

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