Facebook Sensibility (or lack thereof...)

I am the first to admit that I love Facebook. It allows me to keep in touch with friends, see pictures of my niece, and to find out FAR too much information about people I never really knew too well. As I’m looking at some near-stranger’s pictures, I realize they might be doing the same thing with my pictures. So I quickly scroll to the bottom of their profile and remove them from my friends list.

Jokes aside, Facebook has some absolutely wonderful aspects. But there are certain things about Facebook that I don’t, and never will, understand. Below are those things...

The narration Facebook status. While I use my status to share interesting links, post witty/clever/trying-to-be-witty statuses, and express my love for Patti LuPone, I realize that this might not be the case for everyone. But what I don’t understand is when people let me know that they are “straightening their hair,” and ten minutes later, “out with the girlzzzzz,” followed by that insufferable less-than sign followed by a three... <3

The inappropriate Facebook status. This is my least favorite variation on the narration Facebook status is that drunken narration Facebook status. For example, “I’m going to have SUCH a bad hangover in the morning,” or “Off to get drunnnk,” or “I bought Plan B in advance... Crazy night tonight!” I’m not offended that they feel the need to do these things. I am just offended that they feel the need to project that to the world via Facebook. Companies and schools are now using Facebook for networking purposes - I should hope that these partying preps wouldn’t want their prospective professors, coworkers, and bosses developing this awful opinion of them.

The passive/aggressive Facebook post. This is when you see someone else post something on Facebook that is clearly directed at YOU. Yes you! This has happened to me a few times. Rather than choosing to ignore the post, or to act in my own passive/aggressive way, I respond directly to the poster his or her self. Not in an argumentative way, just in a matter of fact way. I don’t think the word “confrontational” is always a bad thing...

The misuse of the verb TO BE. Facebook statuses used to, by default, start your Facebook status with the word “is,” as if to say, “Liza Minelli IS a hot mess.” (To see what’s wrong with this status, see “The inappropriate Facebook status,” above.) Facebooks has since removed the “is,” to allow its users to engage in other activities, rather than always being. However some people still choose to begin every status with the word “is.” “Meryl Streep is will play Mama Rose in the new film version of Gypsy.” No, Meryl Streep, that’s not how it works. But I, for one, is thrilled to hear of your upcoming role!

The vanity profile picture. We all want to look good. And we all want all of our friends to comment on our pictures to say how good we look. So we actors occasionally put our headshot as our profile picture so our friends will tell us how fierce we are. But when every one of your forty seven profile pictures has only YOUR face in the picture, there might be a slight problem. Especially when a good amount of those pictures have other people cropped out of them. Heaven forbid we look at you AND your friends!

So there are my five big pet peeves with Facebook. There are many more that I am sure will come out on this blog at some point or another (or, “Some point or t’other,” as my grandfather would say.)

I’m sure that I’ve been guilty of the occasional Facebook faux pas, but there are some truly senseless Facebook users out there. This is when I go to their profile, scroll down and click “Remove from Friends.” But then I realize that I’ve de-friended my sister, and have to figure out how to re-friend her without her noticing. Hm.

Have you noticed any Facbook senselessness lately?

Until next time.

kp