Status

Do you ever get the idea for a particularly enticing Facebook status, but you don't post it out of courtesy to some of your friends that might take offense?

I do it all the time.  I'm not okay with it, either.  Should I have to feel guilty or apologetic for my own personal, private 140 characters?  Should I really censor my thoughts just because someone who I haven't seen in 5 years might be offended on the off chance that they should see my post, and actually care about it?

That's ridiculous.  I'm serious.  I've thought several times about deleting my entire Facebook, starting over from scratch and only accepting friends who I can have these sorts of conversations with, just so I don't have to give myself grief over whether or not X will think I'm a scarlet woman.

Like why on earth should I feel guilty for wanting to post a quote with the word "bastard" in it?

Here's what I don't understand about Facebook, and Social Networks in general:

There's a formal adding/accepting of friends that you can choose to either ignore, or allow, depending on how close you feel your relationship to that person is.  That's it.  No strings attached.  If you want to be friends, sure, click the accept button.  If not, hide the post.  Whatever.

Okay.  So where does the moral issue come into play?  Why does it suddenly turn into a freaky mindgame of guilt, shame, and horrendous fear over whether or not the other person will accept or deny you or hate you forever if you deny or accept them?

Some of us who started Facebook when we were sadly young and immature, got caught up in the "Oh I Know This Person I've Met Them A Few Times I Will Add Them On Facebook" syndrome, and are, thus far, stuck with gads and scores of people that we don't actually want to be Facebook Friends with.

What do I do now?

 I am a firm believer that deleting people off of your Facebook is a really petty thing to do.  Or, at least I was.  Now I'm not so sure.  Now I'm wondering why on earth I have an obligation to remain "friends" with people who have no honest business knowing anything about my life?  People who, if I ever do see them again, won't ask me how I'm doing, or engage me in conversation, but who will probably exchange snide remarks if they see a Facebook post of mine that they don't agree with.

Or what about those awkward people in your past who you knew at one time,  because you were mutual friends with another person, who you eventually grew apart from, and now there's this awkward elephant in the room of "I know you, but I don't really know you, but I don't want you to think I don't like you because of what happened, so I'm just going to stay friends with you, but really I could care less about what happens in your life?"

Or on the flipside, what about those extremely annoying people who actually get into heated arguments and debates on someone else's random Facebook post, and you're left absolutely bewildered, wondering, "Why does this generation have so much unearthly time on their hands?"

Since when did the need for Social Networking seriously start taking over all of our lives?  I feel like more and more I get into a constant state of stress worrying about whether or not people will chastise or take offense at something I've posted on Facebook,  or over whether or not I've posted an update in the past three hours, or, God forbid,  I miss a friend's crucially funny or important update and am suddenly left, lurching, out of the loop and out in the cold, wet, fog of mystery and good-old-fashioned 1950s house-wife-to-house-wife perception.

And yet, in the midst of all this ranting and raving about what other people think,  I'm left considering whether or not anybody really cares.  Who honestly gives a damn?

Who are these conniving, contrived, conceited people I have made up in my head, waiting like sharks to brutally attack and tear apart any snippet of controversial flesh and status update I throw into the water?

It's Facebook, Hannah.  Nobody really cares what you think.  Nobody really cares what you say.

Facebook is a double-edged sword.  It's a great way to keep up with people you haven't seen in years, or a great way to reinforce a quick "I Love You" to someone you've been too busy to call.  But it's the single, easiest way to thrust yourself pell-mell into a world of self-centered, nosy, self-righteous and absolutely disgusting mockery.  And I'm starting to get quite sick of it.