First of all, I would like to thank the creators of MySpace for blazing the trail which allowed me and over 400 million other wayward souls jump on the bandwagon that is Facebook. Whereas MySpace remains the "top spot" for anyone without a career and mortgage to attend to - i.e. teenagers - Facebook has emerged as the number 1 for social networking arena for those of us who have been tossed into the Generation X category.
It only makes sense for us. We are part of a generation that witnessed hair bands, jelly shoes, day glo and leg warmers. A generation that lived through Farm Aid, Live Aid and Band Aid - we became more socially conscious in the 90's as we battled pollution, greenhouse gases and global warming. We bought minivans, went to soccer practice and have sat through hundreds of ceremonies and recitals to applaud our children. We roller-blade along with the latest in technology, recognizing that we have come a long way from those bulky electronic typewriters to "you've got mail" and where's the nearest wi-fi connection? It only seems fitting that our gather spot would be the bold blue letters of Facebook, splotched with the hundreds, nay, thousands of daily postings of our friends.
I discovered Facebook just about a year ago. I was vehemently opposed to joining any site that would allow...dare I say it...people...to actually know where I was and what was going on in my life. How intrusive! Well, curiosity got the best of this cat and now I can proudly say that I am addicted. This would only make sense since I have what you would call "addictive tendencies." I marvel at the technological wonder that is Facebook and relish in the fact that I have been able to reconnect with people I though were long gone from my average life. I live vicariously through their daily postings....know when they are sad...rejoice when they are happy....share in the pain of losing a loved one. Facebook has become the universal outlet of emotion for over 400 million people WORLD WIDE! Now, that's a melting pot!
Although I'm awed by the functionality of Facebook, I'm also saddened by the fact that with this, as with all good things, there has to be something that will eventually spoil the bunch. Hackers, bullies, "leechers," tend to be the thorn in the side of so many who just want to reach out and reconnect. But, this is the evolution of technology. There will always be that kid on the playground who got picked last for kickball and has to be a jerk because of it. I was picked last lots of times, I'm sure it didn't have anything to do with my complete lack of kickball talent, speed or agility; but I've been able to deal with it. You take the good with the bad.
A couple of weeks ago, I was blessed enough to see a very dear friend of mine, whom I had not seen in 7 years. We used our contact on Facebook as the springboard for many of our conversations as we reminisced - not that we needed it - but it's just amazing how much of a part of our lives this thing has become. Thanks to Facebook we have remained connected but human contact is always more preferable.
So, thank you Facebook. Thanks for the forums, for the postings and the games. Thanks for giving this Gen Xer a place to chat with friends, catch up on their lives and just generally waste time. Thanks for being the heroin for my procrastination...it needed a boost.
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