I've run into an issue that I find silly and yet important. When is it okay to let people onto your Facebook friends list? I've known people who are very selective, like myself, and others who let any and everyone on the list. In an age where digital information is king, is it really safe to let just anyone read what you are doing for the night? Or look at your pictures you post? I find that in the dating world, Facebook can mean all too much. That if you let someone on your list, or if you boot them from it, it sends a serious message. One I find to be trivial at times. (For those of you who've read my past posts on the matter can understand my thoughts.)
Now I know that Facebook is rather juvenile at times and is ultimately a frivolous part of the all too important, bigger picture called life, but I can't help but feel a sense of power in my Facebook profile. I remember shortly after my ex-husband flew the coop, I found it somewhat liberating to change my relationship status from Married to So&So, to Single. I had control over that, and I could let everyone I cared to know, know, without saying a word.
But do we really have all that much power in a Facebook page? Do others really care about the pie you ate for Thanksgiving? Or how cute your dog is? Or what kind of pirate you'd be? Could it be that it's more, WE want others to care about US? I'm sure the same thing could be said about blogging. Just replace all the words: Facebook, with the word: Blog. However you want to read it, I believe it's because we all want to feel important and to be heard and to "accepted".
There are those people in life I simply cannot "accept". There is a reason they are not on my FB friends list and I believe I'm safe to say, we all have those types of people deleted from our accounts. But I'd like, for a moment, to focus on those that we do want on our FB friends list. The ones we do want to have know what's going on in our lives. But more specifically, the ones we have yet to "accept" into our little empowered world.
In life there always needs to be a balance. Good and Evil, Laughter and Sadness, Sweet and Salty (my personal favorite). So with that same sense of empowerment, I feel, also comes a sense of vulnerability. Pictures you may think are funny, can come across in a different light to someone else. Information you found to be personal, can be used publicly against you. Parts of you, you find to be your best, can be your worst to another. Is it all that safe to risk that balance in life? To risk it on something as important, but also, not as important as Facebook?
I know I'm over thinking this. But when have I ever said I don't do that? I guess this whole blog still boils down to: To Facebook or not to Facebook. I think I will. It takes risks in life to get what you want. If you've read my past blogs on doing so, you'll understand that even though my risks are well thought out and somewhat choreographed, they are still risks. And I'll be taking one today. So, I ask you this, Have you Facebooked today?