I read today that Facebook is about to release 100 apps for use with their program. It got me thinking about Facebook and social media. Few will agree with me, but I just am not a fan. It is so not what we do in Italy, which is to pay attention to where you are and what your are doing. Italy, and I hope life, is about living the life that surrounds you, aware of what is taking place in front of you.
Facebook is so much the opposite. I’m sure I will be taken to task for not appreciating and understanding what it offers. But it seems to me that Facebook lets people live life at arms length from everyone. Yes you follow what everyone is doing so you stay current. But while you follow everyone else, you do nothing. And you aren’t involved in the lives of the people you follow, you are simply observing from afar. It is so much more fulfilling and alive to talk with the people who travel with us in Italy than to sit before the glow of a computer screen and see what people all over the world are doing.
She could be uploading to Facebook
Who has time to put the often irrelevant details of your life on Facebook. I’m sure it is a thrill to have lots of followers, although putting your life in front of everyone to see seems a bit bizarre. And if you spend all this time uploading to Facebook, you really aren’t present where ever you are. You aren’t truly living. It is more like putting yourself in a zoo for others to watch you.
We have a Facebook account and page for Adventures in Italy because we are told you have to do so in today’s world. Social media is where it’s at. We have one, but I rarely go there, I rarely put anything on it. Essentially then, it is worthless from a business standpoint. Frankly, I am not going to spend my time thinking of ways for people to follow what we do on Facebook, because for me it is a waste, has no value I can discern.
This blog I do for the business. But it is tied to our passion for Italy. It is a place to express what I’m feeling (such as in this post) as opposed to letting people know what I’m eating, or drinking. I don’t write here that often either, but when I do I at least care about what I am writing. Somehow, for me, there is a big divide between sharing something of importance versus something meaningless.
Perhaps I show my age. Yet I take some solace that I am not just being a Luddite when my son doesn’t have a Facebook account, and my daughter uses it sparingly. I apologize to all the Facebook fans, but I find more in life by being with others face-to-face.
Well said! I am just home from an evening with Italian friends, How could an evening at the computer compete with that, even if it put me in touch with 50 aquaintances?
(Besides, FB doesn’t offer formaggio, vino, pane e shared laughter!)
I’d much rather have 2-3 good tete-a-tete encounters et al than have 150+ virtual friends. I love the technology, but for me, it lacks the sentient plasma that can only come when you’re in front of another human being. At any rate, to each his own.
Great convo over the courtyard lunch or evening crawl in the land of Orvieto. Maybe you’ll consider Tweeting????
;]
Coffee and conversation with friends is what does it for me; althou a glass of wine now and then sounds good, too.
Couldn’t agree more. I want to unfriend Facebook but the company makes that hard to do. The people that matter know how to find me anyway.
I heard a statistic today at an economic forecast that with all its members, Facebook would be the third largest country in the world behind China and India. Yes it cannot replace mano a mano contact and shouldn’t. But it does connect people and make us a global family. We can learn and know about our friends and family in far off places. We can feel some connection, however vague and thin, but still a connection. The shame is when that is all someone does for social contact and hides behind computer screen. There is dribble and there is meaningful expression and feeling on Facebook. Like everything in life it is what you make of it.
It does have its place, but you are quite right that its easy to do too much. One small post a day would seem sufficient. It really is very nice to be able to see updates on my children and grandchildren. In no way does it take the place of seeing them in person (once a year or less), or chatting with them on the phone. Or better yet, on Skype!
I have Facebook and Twitter accounts, but I’m negligent about posting. I have my blog linked to both, so that anything I post there goes out automatically. That’s often the only thing I do. They are essential though, for getting word out about my book, and building a fan base. It’s a sad truth that when you’ve got something to sell, you have to make the connections. The trick is to not let it take over your life.
You nailed my thoughts exactly. Love this post. I still have a Facebook account but use it sparingly. I found it a big waste of time to wade through the status updates daily so I finally just quit and I DO NOT miss it. Like you I believe people should live life and enjoy face to face conversation. Facebook can never replace actual one on one human interaction. Thanks for sharing :-)