Experiencing Some Viral Issues

I de-activated my Facebook account.  It was a rather arduous process with several questions to answer and even a last-minute emotional, blackmail attempt by Facebook:  They put up pictures of some of your friends saying that these people will miss you.

Seriously?  Because if they are my friends, really my friends, they know how to get in touch with me.  I'm just saying.

I originally joined Facebook to promote my blog and I recently discovered that my friends on Facebook actually read it.  That was a pleasantly surprising discovery because I don't even look at people's pictures.  When I would check out Facebook, I breezed through posts wondering why I cared that someone was excited to watch the new season of Mad Men.  I do want to keep in touch with people but I prefer a nice long e mail or phone conversation or, better yet, in person over a beer.  It's probably why I like blogging because I get to know people through them.  And, you can drink a beer and read blogs:  truly a win win.

I know, I'm so old-school, I should be tweeting my life in a 140 characters except that I have a LOT to say.

Another reason I felt the need to get off of Facebook has to do with my daughter.  She tried out for competition dance at her dance studio.  The owner of the studio moved her up to a higher level team for this year.  The people on the team didn't think she deserved it and said so all over Facebook.  It pissed me off and my daughter off.  I also think the owner missed a teachable moment, although not about Facebook.  She reprimanded the girls and said, "We don't do things like that at this studio, we have to support one another."  What she should have said was, "I made the decision to put Clara on the team.  I own the studio and it's my choice.  If you don't like it you need to speak with me."  But, alas, like everyone else, the owner wants to be liked.

Which brings me to another reason I'm not into Facebook right now.  We tend to, in our little posts, present an exaggerated picture of ourselves, maybe a polished version, not an authentic one.  I think, as I'm trying to figure out the next step of my life, I want to stay away from the noise of all that.  You could say that blogs can be inauthentic but I don't feel like the people I've met through them are. Plus, there is room for more creativity.

All of this may sound like a pretentious excuse, I'm not sure.  Of course, I'm about to get a new smartphone.  Not so old-school now am I?  But without Facebook, what am I going to use it for?  I suppose I'll have to download one of those games everyone is playing like Dirty Birds.  Or is it Angry Birds?  Maybe I am too old for this.