The other day I posted a little update on Facebook that caused a bit of a commotion. It was about how I ran into another mom at Back to School Night who seemed skittish around me. Inwardly, I was amused – because I knew that she had defriended me on FB. Her discomfort, I assumed, was based on this fact, after she had invited me to be her friend.
It’s like “I voted for him before I voted against him.”
Anyway, it’s all so silly, and so 8th grade, and therefore so perfect that there we were, sitting in the epicenter of social immaturity – lab desks in the middle school, scene of seething emotional drama every single day – chatting stiltedly.
I was surprised at how much response my FB notice caused. Some people sweetly reassured me that they would never defriend me. Others were appalled. Another said she had received a Friend Invitation from someone she knew – who had dissed her -back in 5th grade, and therefore her sweet revenge was to decline the friend offer.
As I am friends with a number of my goddaughters, nieces, and others who are still teenagers, I check out their FB pages occasionally, and am happy to see no sniping or backbiting. Quite the opposite.
FB is quite possibly the best thing that ever happened to the fragile ego of the teenage girl.
Under every photo, friends comment “UR so PRIITTTY! ))” and “OMG U R GORGEOUS” and ”LOVE U 4EVER!!!!” That giddy, super-loyal emotion that bonds young girls together is magnified to the 10th power on FB. These girls are constantly swearing loyalty to one another and slathering on the compliments. (Note: this is not true of the FB pages of guys).
If ever a young girl is feeling upset or insecure, all she has to do is go look at her FB compliments for an instant dose of confidence. That’s the upside.
The downside? Oh, the inanity. I hope never to see another photo of teenage girls with eyes crossed and tongues out. “SO FUNNY LOLOLOL hahahaa.”
Also, I can live without ever seeing another Charlie’s Angels pose. Back to back girls, hands clasped and index fingers together, pointing up! “OMG U R SO SHEXXXY”
My sons grouse that they are sick of girls who do the jumping photo. Get used to it, guys: The mid-air leaping shot is tremendously popular. It will never go away.
We are all tired of FB teens describing every uncomfortable situation or photo as “awkward.” My sons report that this is now shortened to just “awk.”
So anyway, I thought today was an appropriate time to bring up these observations, as we are on the eve of the new movie that implies that the founding father of Facebook stole the idea from his real-life friends. Pretty awk, Mr. Z. Good thing you’re giving $100 million to the schools in Newark, NJ to deflect attention from this bombshell.
But my big question is, have you defriended your accusers yet?
What do you love and/or hate about FB?