I think I am done with my oldest form of social media. I hate to say it. I love the freedom and expression of social media, but I think Facebook has gone too far. It's just not fun anymore.
Originally created by Mark Zuckerberg in 2005, the initial idea of Facebook was to connect University students. Over the last 8 or so years the social media channel has embedded itself deep into the day to day lives of its users (and let's not ignore the marketing possibilities of collecting endless amount of consumer data about each and everyone of us, all available for sale). The Facebook we know today has evolved far from it's initial conception.
I joined FB back in 2006. I remember being in my first year of Uni and hearing whisperings around my student halls of this thing online called Facebook. This rumor lead us all to turn to our brand new laptops and immediately sign up. Back then it was used to confirm new friendship status' with our new found (real life) Uni friends. It also made it ten times easier to keep in touch with all the old school friends, littered about the country in their respective Uni towns.
In my first few years of FB and Uni, I would clog up friends feeds with numerous FB albums of our wild nights out, we all did. Albums entitled; Tiger Tiger after exams and First Night Back after Crimbo are still accessible on my profile today. Fraping became a widly recognised term amoungst every young adult who had access to the internet. Horrendously pissed up pictures of yourself would be uploaded, tagged and liked before you even had a chance to remove them. Back then who even cared about removing them?! It was harmless fun.
However, soon things began to change. Firstly there were the games that became available to play through FB (remember Farm Frenzy?). Then viral posts with billions of likes and comments began to pop up on my feed. Next there was the new generation of FBers; the teens, the 14 year olds. This new generation would upload selfies to show off to their school friends about how hot they looked in their non-uniform getup (getup: see how cool I am?). Obviously there had always been an element of show-off to any FB post; look how gorgeous I am, look how popular I am, look how funny I am. But things began to go too far.
It was also around this time when the stalking began. Lazy evenings in front of the TV and the laptop led to endless hours of catching up with an old school friend you haven't actually spoken to in years. The increasing accessibility to the internet via smart phones only enhanced this. When waiting for a bus or an ad break to be over or even in the cue at the bank you would find out what an ex work colleague had for breakfast that morning.
Today, I would be unable to browse my feed without witnessing somebody announcing to all their 'friends' that they are a) engaged b) having a baby or a scan picture c) annoyed at the X factor or d) so in love. Of course in part this is due to my age but the content itself isn't really issue. What I am questioning is the need to share.
Perhaps it's the age old school reunion thing. Back in the day you would have no idea what John Smith did with his life after you all left school. You would blissfully forget about him until you either bumped into him in the local supermarket/pub or met up with him at the school reunion 20 years down the line. Back in the day the school reunion was the one event you wanted to attend and be on top form for; 'Look at me with my amazing good looks, billions of pounds in the bank and perfect family. Haven't I done well since being the nerd at school who nobody noticed'. This school reunion syndrome has evolved and spilled over on to FB.
Another question to ask myself is; why do I even care? Over the last few years I have met many a friend who had taken themselves off FB; deactivated or deleted their account. At the time I asked them this question too. To be affected by what other people do with their lives surely shows self-esteem issues and signs of jealously. Maybe it does, maybe I am jealous, but again that's not entirely the point. My point is why has is become socially acceptable to brag about yourself.
FB has become a tool to completely and 100% show off about your life. Gone are the silly days of fraping and posting horrendously drunk snaps of yourself. Today it is a channel or a tool of self promotion, a way in which to broadcast a press releases to your entire 'friends list' with just a few taps of a touch screen. I am not innocent in all this of course. I have been known to upload a selfie (particularly on Instagram - who doesn't like the very forgiving filters) and to upload my holiday snaps. But that is as far as it goes with me. You would not catch me bragging about my new job or pay rise or expensive handbag or new car. It's ugly, self centered and people do not like you for it.
