I always forget that I’m the only person in the world who doesn’t pay attention to Facebook. I’m on Facebook. I check in once a week or so to see how things are going with people – see what their kids wore that day, what people ate that day, and see how many people started their updates with, “You know you’re a [fill in the blank] when you [insert something that half the world does, but you have somehow convinced yourself that it makes you different anyhow.]
I mean, you know, it’s just how we keep in touch with each other nowadays. More often than not, I get frustrated with Facebook, itself, and can’t look at it for more than a few minutes at a time. I don’t like the way it’s organized, how crappy the auto refresh is, all the ads, all the different streams of every activity that anyone does on Facebook at any given time, the multiple ways to post and chat with people on all of the tabs, etc. It’s just overkill for me. I check in once a week or so, and then move on with my life.
So, imagine my surprise when people started asking about my relationship status. I didn’t realize that people really paid attention to that type of stuff. I mean, it’s Facebook. I didn’t send anyone wedding invitations. I just clicked a box on a website that may or may not have had a heart near it (don’t remember, not going to double check). That same week, the government shutdown ended, there was another school shooting, and a 7.3 earthquake hit near Japan. All I heard from people was, “So, you changed your relationship status on Facebook!”
I mean, you know, that’s fine. It’s nice that people care. I just didn’t think they would, and I don’t understand why they do. Erica told me, “Nothing’s official until it’s on Facebook!” I’ve been trying to figure out whether that is true or not. Based on my experience these past couple weeks, it sure seems true. I don’t think that I’m comfortable with that, either. I’m not anti-social media, of course. I just think of Facebook as a dumping site for everyone’s streams of consciousness. It’s loaded with so much from so many people, that not much on there is really important. I can’t say the same for, as an example, Twitter because it has been used to start revolutions, for crying out loud. Also, nobody gets mad at you if you miss her tweet on Twitter. My feelings for Facebook are similar to how I felt when OK Cupid switched from a cool site where users took fun quizzes to a dating site. The biggest difference is that Facebook is the only way I have to communicate with a large part of my family and some of my friends. So, like it or not, I am tied to Facebook until something better comes along for all of us to fervently adopt.
If anything, I have learned that Facebook really matters to people far more than I thought it did, and more importantly, they pay attention to what I post on there. So, I’ll probably start editing myself even more than I already do. Or not. I’m lazy.
The Scarlet Loser 
For some reason, changing your relationship status is always something that people make a big deal about. I’ll never understand the cultural significance of it either. Years ago, I edited my relationship status to blank from “single” since I figured it was nobody’s business. The change was noted on my feed, and while only a couple people asked about it on the event, I got a lot of PMs asking: “Well, if you’re not single now, what are you?” It’s weird.
I am so glad that everything worked out, though. Congrats!
Yeah, I don’t remember if I was Single or Blank before I changed it this time because I just didn’t pay attention. Even when other people change their statuses, shared friends will ask me if I know what it means. As if there’s something more significant than the obvious thing. Facebook is just a strange,strange world.
Also, thank you! Ben and I are practically the same person, but he’s smart and nice and I’m funny. Makes me feel kind of like Voltron when our super powers unite.
Awesome post! Yes, I also think Facebook as “…a dumping site for everyone’s streams of consciousness.” Good job with that phrase. I tune in, see what folks are up to and tune out. It’s a great place to keep in contact with family and friends I know, but also a great way to share. And like you said, it how it’s done nowadays!
I never thought I would be one of those people who always said, “Back in my day..,” but I have. In my head, I’m still excited about new technologies like three-way calling.