Social Networking

SO-CIAL NET-WORK
[soh-shuhl] [net-wurk]
service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services. Social networking has encouraged new ways to communicate and share information. Social networking websites are being used regularly by millions of people, and it now seems that social networking will be an enduring part of everyday life.

I HATE THESE AND I L♥VE THEM.

I love them because it is all I wanted all along: to be included, informed, etc…And with these sites I get incessant updates about their lives which include pictures and stories. I get to eavesdrop on conversations with a clear conscious. We disclose joys & sorrows while sharing milestones & triumphs. It’s everything I always wanted.

I hate them because I have always reached out and tried to maintain contact with my friends and family wanting to be involved in their lives with little to no success. I find myself begging to spend time with my “l♥ved ♥nes”, calling repeatedly to no avail, and finally losing track (and maybe interest) for years only to log on one day and see a friend request from these people: the people who ignored me and went on living their lives without me. Why do they now want to be my friend? I guess they really don’t want to be my friend. It makes me think that people join these networks, not to “network socially” but to create a memorial to their lives. Who knows? It’s just a thought.

I joined at the coercion of my friend Caryn who has been reduced to a “Facebook” friend. She rarely returns my e-mails or text messages, but every day I can log on, view her profile, and for a moment feel like I’m a part of her life.