Spin Cycle: A Case For Facebook

I know.

I know all of the things people hate about it. I know all the issues that everybody complains about. I know that it's a tremendous time suck. In fact...

SSSSSHHHHHHLLLLLLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!!!

That was the sound of me being sucked in by the giant, swirling vortex that is Facebook.

But you know what? I don't care.

I love it.

There, I said it. I love Facebook. I look forward to checking in with it throughout my day. Seeing what's going on in the world. Sharing something funny. In fact, I'd be willing to say that it has definitely changed my world for the better. I have found...

Oh sorry. I just heard that little "boink" sound which meant that somebody "liked" something I'd posted so I rushed over to see who it was and what it was that they liked but it ended up just being someone sending me a Farm Heroes Saga request but then I ended up reading an article that somebody linked to and then I "shared" it. But I'm back now. Um...where was I...

I have found that I'm more connected to the world around me than ever before.

Why do I like Facebook so much? Do I have a desperate need to be liked? Or rather, "Like"d? Well, yeah, kind of. I mean, if I post a picture of myself on an old tv show from the '90s and 115 people click "Like" it does make me feel sort of...popular. But I think I have a fairly healthy sense of well-being and don't really need the "like"ing to feel good about myself.  [Though I must admit that my psychiatric knowledge is based solely on one semester of Psych 101, for which I received an Incomplete because I was far too busy doing plays and drinking beer and juggling several boyfriends at once to actually attend a class that took place waaaaaay over in the Psychology building, so what the hell do I know.] And it takes a fairly healthy ego to assume that anyone would be interested in pictures of your child eating.

But I think that the joys of Facebook go far beyond ego-boosting or self-aggrandizement. Here are the top reasons I ♥ Facebook...

• The Reunions. I have reconnected with SO many old friends. Friends who I really, genuinely adore, but time and/or location drove us apart. Friends who are fascinating people. Friends who I thought I'd never see or hear from again. And now, suddenly, we are part of each others lives on a daily basis. We don't simply keep up with each others lives, we contribute. The contribution might just be a "Like", but it can still feel like a hug. We are once again part of each others lives.

• The Surprises. Okay, yes, I know. We all have those people who we kinda/sorta/maybe knew in high school who send us Friend Requests and we don't know what to do because they are people who we never ever wanted or needed to communicate with ever again ever. I hear people say this ALL the time when explaining why they don't like Facebook, or don't want to join Facebook. And yes, I am "Friends" with some of these people, and wish I wasn't. However...for every one of those folks, I have found three people who totally surprised me. People who I never really knew or cared to know, either because they were simply off my radar or because I deemed them too redneck/jockish/dorky/popular to be interesting. But I have been proven wrong over and over. Some of my favorite people on Facebook are random folks I barely knew from high school who are nothing like what I thought they were like. Who are funny and interesting and we get each others sense of humor and I'm always eager to see what's going on in their lives. I'm thinking this should teach me a lesson

• The News. Okay, not the real news, like politics and such, but the...scoop. What's going on where/when/with who. I actually like knowing whose kids won what awards and whose mom is in the hospital and who's gone on what fabulous vacation. [Okay, maybe not the vacation thing. There's nothing worse than spending your 3 week summer vacation at your in-laws house in the suburbs while seeing photos of your "Friends" 3 week vacations in the Caribbean.]

• The Other Half. Alright, I feel pretty sure that I will eat these words come the next presidential election, but...I think it's a good thing to step out of our little bubble worlds and see how the other half lives. Or maybe I should say the other side. I have a particularly eclectic group of Facebook "Friends". They run the gamut from left-wing/bleeding-heart/gay-loving/Commies to right-wing/redneck Texas/bible-thumping/fascists. From wacky/artist/actors/free-spirits to rich/tennis club/Lexus SUV driving/mommies from school. And I have to say, I enjoy getting  a glimpse of everybody's lives. On one day I might see pictures of one friend's trip to Europe and another friend's husband feeding their cows, read one friend's pro-vegan/anti-animal cruelty rant and another friend's pro-NRA rant complete with pictures of himself with his stockpile of automatic weapons. It's all real.

•  The Village. If you need to reach out, someone is always there. This could be if you need a recommendation for a reasonably priced upholsterer or the next tv show you need to Netflix binge. But it's also there when you need a little sympathy. Try posting "I have a cold. Boohoo!" and see if you don't get a landslide of chicken soup offers. And it's a nice feeling to know that if you ever seriously needed something, ever had a time of genuine crisis, you woud have a means of reaching out and making contact. Of...

Oh, sorry. I just heard that little "boink" again and everybody's posting funny Throwback Thursday pictures and one "Friend" posted this amazing picture of himself in high school with long hair and so I had to comment on that and then I thought "Oh, I should post something for TBT!" so I dug out an old picture of Jimmy and me and posted it because Jimmy and I had kind of a screaming match yesterday and I thought he'd accept my tagging a picture of him when he was much younger as a kind of olive branch and guess what the picture already has 80 "Likes". Um...where was I?

Oh I know...don't forget to click the Follow us on Facebook link down on the right sidebar!

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Check back on Monday for Ginny Marie and my Spin Cycle topic for next week!

 

 

 

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Comments

[marisa]

What no link to your Facebook page ..now that is cruel, LOL! you must start a "Spin Cycle Facebook page or Second Blooming page - Mangia, Mangia... No Talk has one! I have a love hate relationship with Facebook. Right now I am loving Bitstrips have you tried it, its fun!!!! Just search Bitstrip in Facebook create a cartoon of yourself and you can feature a comic strip of yourself...I even Bitstrip my hubby try it you'll like it!
Love your post,

Marisa

[Ginny Marie]

Sometimes I'm tempted to turn off that little "boink" but I secretly love it! I do love Facebook for all the reasons you say so beautifully. Yesterday my village told me I could come over any time if my house got too cold! I love that. It was also great fun to see a TBT picture of you and Jimmy. :)

[alexandra]

I agree with every single thing here BUT where's your FB link? I like your page, I follow your page, but do you have a person page so I can see your updates? My personal page is Alexandra Rosas, and I hope to see you on FB (b/c I live there)

[Kristie]

I agree so many old friends that I've lost contact with are now back in my FB life and I love that we have a connection again! I would love to see the pic you posted for TBT...

[ar]

I too love FB but since you are one of my 'friends' I think you already know that. lol The hubby, on the other hand, has been berating me about it for years but now I notice that he spends lots of time looking around my page and newsfeed when I leave it open. (not to mention comments to me on lots of stuff.) FB can be good or it can be bad..... I love it. I did have one of my mother in laws friends friend me and I just ignored it and let it linger there for a long time until I saw her one day and she called me on it. OMG..... I just told her the truth. I don't friend everyone and really all the people on my list are actually my friend. There is no one on there that I don't know. I told my MIL's friend that I was sorry and that I didn't friend everyone (thinking this would make her feel better and it is true) and that she was not really my friend but my MIL"S. The reason that I don't wanna friend her besides that fact is that she runs and tells the MIL everything and let's face it....... (and since you are my FB friend you know this to be true..) I AM A WEIRDO and don't want her running back and telling the inlaws all my weird biz............

[VandyJ]

I have been on Facebook for years--I got introduced to it back when I was in college for the second time. I love it for the fact that I can keep up with far flung friends, like you :)

[Jan's Sushi Bar]

You just described all the reasons I rabidly heart Facebook myself.

As for those "friends" you wish you hadn't found, you can "unsubscribe" them from your feed without de-friending them. You have no idea how many times I've done that; it was absolutely necessary for my peace of mind.

[Kristina Walters @ Kris On Fitness]

LOL! That too funny! I'm not on Facebook as much I probably should be but my hubby still says I'm a junky. Don't worry, I love it too!

[Janice Adcock]

I love facebook for all that you stated. Currently I have 11 different categories I in which I have divided friends posts to appear. Foodies is the group for folks that post mostly recipes. Too Political is a group that I visit if I need to get my blood boiling.

Another entertaining post.

[Angelina Costenaro]

You are so right that Facebook is a vortex. I get sucked in way too often. In fact, I'm trying to avoid looking at it right now because it's time to go to sleep!

[The Bug]

Ditto ditto ditto - I love FB for all those same reasons. It's been great! Especially for an introvert - I can step away when I need some alone time without hurting anyone's feelings :)