That's not even a word according to my spell check...

I mean come on! You can't be serious... Unfriend?!




My initial reason for jumping into the social media fray so long ago was what I thought to be out of necessity (explained here). While it's a never ending, uphill battle, I try to be a responsible and conscientious parent. Go where the kids are if you want to know what's going on may seem like common sense advice, but least we never forget that common sense is hardly common place...and even rarer is universally common (aka one size fits all) when it comes to kids.

Then I was hooked.

I began to see the growing potential to market the Stick With Jesus website, expand my blog readership, spread the Good News and reconnect with some old friends who had been MIA for quite some time. Pretty soon I leaped from MySpace to Facebook...way before my teenage daughter gave it a thought. 'Facebook is for old people!' was her stand on the issue, and as usually, turns out old dad was just a step ahead of her.

I'm seriously fighting the urge to go nanny, nanny, boo-boo, who's old now? But I'll refrain for such an immature display of celebratory arrogance...at least for now.

Today the whole world and then some are part of the social media craze called Facebook. My darling spouse came kicking and screaming to the 'dark side' back in late 2009, and now she spends more time on her iPhones app picture stalking...I mean...checking up on her own old friends than she does watching Criminal Minds reruns, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice combined. Actually, she usually peruses FB while watching those shows. What was I thinking?

But let me not poke fun of my beloved in fear of some type of stinging retribution. While there are numerous counter-punches in her arsenal when it comes to me specifically, I'm pretty sure she would go straight to her most used (and time-tested) counter concerning the all important Friends list. Let's face it...Facebook without friends is like the proverbial Buddhist monk trying to clap with one hand.

What's the point?

Her jab is of my own making too which makes the sting even worse. Let me explain. I just refuse to turn down any friend request. Not one goes unconfirmed. She is, on the other hand,  more selective about who 'makes the cut'  than sports writers are about their precious MLB Hall of Fame inductees.
There just an element of WWJD at play in the whole process for me. Clicking the Delete Request button is so...anti-Jesus.

Now this position comes with a few undesirable consequences I will admit. There's the Rude and Obnoxious crew that post status updates that don't necessarily reflect my own...ahem...value system, the Past Girlfriend section that really do me no favors strolling down memory lane on my Wall, the Old College Buddies who need to apply the whole 'stays in Vegas' adage to their story telling (regardless of Statute of Limitation expiration), and least we not forget...wait...okay the Past Girlfriend thing is a little ego boosting...but strictly in a platonic way!

Still, having over 1600 friends does makes my News Feed look like rolling credits at the end of a show.

Do I personally know/have known these people? Probably not. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't care to  meet them...well...at least most of them anyway. What I do have a serious problem with is people who use social media sites to subjugate the rest of us to their personal dramas. Got a sick friend or family member? I'd be glad to lift them up in prayer. Recent job promotion? Kudos to you, we celebrate together. Kid stuck a Lego block up their nose? Those do make some of the funniest pictures. Caught your boyfriend cheating with neighbor's dog? Seriously...I just don't need that information or the resulting thread of Comments in my day or thoughts. Maybe it's just me...

Just this very weekend I was somewhat forced to Unfriend someone from my list due to the teenager's drama. It was only the second time in almost four years I've done that, and the first time was truly a matter of self-preservation (and even then I felt bad). Who would ever guess high school relationships are almost always temporary...


So where does it all end? Believe me. Facebook is a finite plaything in a fickle world. The Restart button surely can't be too far away. Wish I'd hurry and get the new thing idea first...