Posted by Facebook. Who does not do Facebook? (If you are reading this, the chances are you have an account, right?)
It is estimated that 7% of the human world population uses Facebook. That’s remarkable considering that about 25% of the world’s population is under 14 years of age and not even old enough to use Facebook (but they do anyway), and about 70% of the world has no internet access. So if you do the math, everybody who can, has an account. Even pets (maybe they need social networking too). And every business has a Facebook page, even the small corner sari-sari store.
Facebook has revolutionized how we live and how we get connected. Which in some ways are good, but in some ways are bad.
Some people put too much personal information in their profile (their full name, address, birthdate, telephone number, and even their suking tindahan) making them at risk for identity theft. Some even announce their stupid plans, like when they call-in sick for work just to have a good time. And then they are surprised how their employer found them out? Or some post who they are mad with or in fight with. Do we really need to broadcast those sensitive things? Sometimes I learn friends’ change in status from being married to complicated, or who are they not ‘friends’ with anymore. And I don’t have the guts to ask why.
But I confess, some wall posts are interesting and informational. And some are just truly inspiring.
Last month, Facebook announced that it will launch ‘Timeline’ which is like a scrapbook in reverse chronological order of what we post and who we are. It is essentially a digital record of one’s life. I still don’t know what to expect from this. I guess it will be wait and see.
As I look into my own Facebook profile and my friends’ profiles, I come to think: is the essence of our existence being reduced to events we attended, or places we visited, or friends we have?
I know when my time will pass and my memory starts to fade, what I will cherish is not the photos I have in front of the Statue of Liberty, or when I attended a famous celebrity’s concert, or my picture in front of the Eiffel Tower. Oh I forgot, I’ve never been to Paris (yet).
What I will cherish are the more poignant moments, like having home cook dinner with my wife, or reading a bedtime story with my kids, or having a patient’s family say thank you, even if the patient that I took care of, died.
And those moments are not even captured on camera, nor posted in Facebook.
Pinoy Transplant in Iowa 
i agree with your last 2 paragraphs here, doc.
although i have fb account (unlike you?), i value my blog more.
Thanks for visiting.
hi, Doc!
I have an account with FB, but only my name, civil status & the city where I’m living (but, not my complete address) are indicated in my Profile…the company where i’m working is never mentioned, too.
I’m amazed where some of my friends posted pictures of them in outrageous get up…& to think every one can view them especially if they didn’t set their Privacy Setting into Customize..
We even had one of our Management Team Members (take note… a lady Manager!) posted in her wall…expressing her not so good comments about our Executive.. The next day, she was called to the office of the Executive…& eventually, she left the compay. She should have realized that FB is a public social networking. 🙂
by the way, those moments of yours not captured in your cam… hmm… you may post them in your FB Wall… :)) …d’you have an account? 🙂
Those poignant moments are captured and imprinted forever in the memory cells of my brain and posted in the wall of remembrance. That is enough for me.
Thanks for visiting and thank you for your comments.
I heard this over the podcast yesterday: Stop Facebooking your perfect life!
Come to think of it, I wrote this post almost 7 years ago, and it is still very true today.