Facebook: to poke or to puke?

The Weekly Writing Challenge is an interesting one indeed!

There is a lot to be said about Facebook. With the 10 year anniversary coming up in a little more than 7 months, it has been in the news for more bad reasons that good ones of late. First there was the noting on the Stock Exchange with promises of huge profits for investors, which didn’t quite pan out that way. Next we had endless security warnings and messages of accounts being hacked or user’s details being leaked. Furthermore, at least once a week you can find an article of how Facebook have ruined another relationship or assisted in someone being conned out of their hard earned savings.

I couldn’t really be bothered with my account being hacked. No one has anything to gain by stealing my identity and, since I’m a bit of a control freak, I tend to change my password on a weekly basis, at the very least, making it just a little difficult for anyone who would try. I never post anything that won’t pass as suitable for Luke, my (very strict) gran or my pastor. If their eyes can’t see it, then it’s not on there, very simple rule!

In terms of Facebook ruining relationships, I am of the opinion that it can only ruin your relationship if you allow it to happen. It goes down to a very simple little thing called moral values. I value myself and I value my relationship with Jacques. Nothing will compromise that, EVER. I have in the past, and will continue to do so in future, removed people from my friends list who post links or ideas that are not in line with what I believe and what I stand for.

I just don’t see how it is possible to have someone as a friend when their opinions or interest are in obvious contradiction to your own. I guess some people suffer from FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and thus feel compelled to be “friends” with everyone they meet or who just looks remotely interesting. I’m so glad I don’t! Every person on my friends list is someone that I know personally. Don’t even bother sending me a friend request if I don’t know you or just met you. You ain’t gonna get anywhere fella!

As far as Facebook activity goes, my feed is forever updating, thus it is always open at work. I don’t have a lot of Facebook friends – it’s only family, colleagues (old and current) and friends from school. My father and his wife, my brother and sister-in-law, my mother and grandmother, my late sister’s husband and child – they are all in different towns scattered across South Africa. If we did not have Facebook, let’s face it, it would be immensely difficult to keep up to date with the happenings in their lives, photos and such. I love Facebook and I am very grateful Mark Zuckerberg for “stealing” the idea.

Why then is my Facebook feed so very, very long? 90% of my Facebook activity relates to pages that I am subscribed to: motivation, inspiration, spiritual, personal growth, health, news, gospel, sport and technology.

I can definitely see that for certain people and in certain relationships Facebook could be a problem, but it can only be one as far as you allow it to be. You are the one who needs to answer to your conscious; you are the one who needs to close your eyes at night and go to sleep peacefully. Play it by the book and you have nothing to worry about.

Mark Twain said it best: