Original Face or Facebook?

photo by taradharma

Jackie Greene, one of my favorite musical artists, posts about his concerns with social media and our addiction to it, especially its impact on kids and teenagers.  I encourage you to read the whole thing.  I can't imagine being young today with social media...and video games, and the oppressive prevalence of popular culture/celebrity.

I've been getting teased by a few friends lately about how frequently I post on facebook.  I do love my facebook life, but Mr. Greene's post has really struck a nerve deep down inside of me.  I've been blogging for six years and have been on facebook for a couple of years.  I've met some wonderful people through my on-line presence -- hell, I met my girlfriend through blogging six years ago!  How wonderful is that?  I felt as if I knew her very well.  Her writing was smart, funny, heartfelt and provocative.  It could have merely been a manifestation of her on-line self, but as it turned out her writing was honest and a true reflection of many parts of her being.  I fell in big time like through reading her posts.

Social media, like everything else, can be used for good or evil.  I say evil because some kids and teens are horrendously bullied through social media.  Some have committed suicide because of on-line harassment.  And a lesser evil, insidious, is the tethering of one's life experience to one's on-line presence.  Okay, "one" being me.  If I don't blog or facebook about it, who will know I experienced it? 

I will, of course.

I know that my internet persona and expression has become exceedingly important to me when I acknowledge that the idea of giving it up sends me into a panic.  What is the result of this -- let me be honest -- addiction?  Or, put more compassionately and gently, perhaps my on-line expression is an extension of my life-long desire to express through writing, music and photography.

Can we really experience and cultivate our Original Face* on the Internet?  The answer is: I don't know.  But I am thinking about it.







*A term used in Buddhdism to refer to an individual's true nature in the sense of the true identity, or ‘face’, which lies behind the ever-changing, evanescent procession of identities that one takes from life to life.

Will You Pardon Me?

I've had a couple of friends on Face Book comment that they love reading my political posts, but they hate the way they feel afterward (kind of like overdoing chocolate ice cream, or tequila).  Makes me wonder if I'm abusing my FB power....should I only use FB for pleasant or witty cocktail information?  Or can open up a can of TRUTH on my FB friends every now and then (sometimes, lately, every day, all day)?

I have been known to be a wet blanket at social events....everyone's keeping it light and I want to rant about the government's slow response to AIDS.  That was the last time I was at a social event, so you know it was awhile ago.

I checked "FB 101" and I see all kinds of rules about not being rude, not unfriended people (just adjust your privacy settings, a-hem), but nowhere did I hear "don't talk politics or religion."  That was always the rule at my parents' dinner table.  Gripe about your job all you want (ad nauseam) , but please, no politics.  

Grumble Grumble Grumble

(image credit: http://noonegetstheicewolf.blogspot.com/2009/08/old-people-weak.html)

Yeah, I'm a facebooker. I like it. I also get pissed off with it. And with how easily I am suckered by posts on it. Twice in 2 days: first, there was the post a picture of your favorite cartoon character as your profile picture, in an effort to bring awareness to childhood abuse. Well, I wondered, how does that work? But I posted my darling Under Dog (aka voice of Wally Cox) anyway. Then I read this cogent rant and couldn't agree more.

Second, I get a FB post to send holiday mail to recovering service members c/o Walter Reed Army Hospital in DC. So I post that as well. Then I find out that is either old information or an outright hoax. For security reasons, the US army will return any packages or envelopes addressed to "any service member." The way to go, I learned, is to send holiday cards via the Red Cross (see link at the top of this site).

Apparently, I am one of those suckers who are born every minute....

And on a completely different note (or not, actually), go here and read a most sincere and powerful letter to President Obama by one of my favorite bloggers.