During a break from class, I sat outside in the sun, munching on a plum. A friend joined me and we had a conversation about long distance relationships. She hasn't seen her man in a few years, but is convinced she's going to marry him.
A guy crossed the road, smiled at her, completely ignoring me. He walked past us, retraced his steps and handed the girl a card. I imagined they knew each other quite well, given his confident approach. Turns out they met briefly and she didn't remember his name. The card had his name on it and in brackets, 'facebook.' A facebook card!
Most friends on facebook are not really friends. They're at a superficial level of acquaintance, hardly qualifying the label. Yet, we seem to add them to our friends list, sometimes with discretion. Some people live life vicariously through their facebook friends, keeping tabs on their activities. Voyeurism of some sort. What is the fascination in looking through other people's facebook pages? What in us is so curious for details of what someone else is doing? Social scientists point out the detrimental effects of facebook use, the feeling of dissatisfaction it can create. It's a tool we need to use with sense, in balance.
The girl sitting outside in the sun looked at the card in her hand and tore it into four pieces.
