FB PDA: TMI?

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

When our parents and grandparents courted, it used to be the giving and wearing of a pin that officiated a budding relationship; nowadays, things are much simpler (and cheaper) than that. All it takes is one little click for that virtual red heart to appear, and with that, we assume that a very real relationship has begun to form. And as feelings develop, virtual universes collide.  
The Facebook generation has developed the ability, and a subsequent need to publicize our social affairs, however explicit, dramatic or mushy they might be. In most cases, it’s just TMI. No, despite what you might think, I don’t enjoy scrolling through the make-out session that PhotoBooth just happened to record. But at any rate, thanks, Mark Zuckerberg, for making it oh-so-easy to broadcast our “love” for that special someone throughout cyberspace. Seriously though, screw you for giving us an all-access pass into the (porno-?)graphic love lives of our closest 1,173 friends. 

Don’t get me wrong: it’s great that you’re in love, and even better that you’re not afraid to show it. But for the sake of our imaginations, your privacy, and the parents that are now starting to infiltrate the Facebook-sphere, you might want to consider not doing any of the following… 

Posting intimate photos. It’s not cute if you use the “fisheye” effect, and it’s not funny with the whirly one. No one wants to scroll through your make-out album, and it’s just not necessary to publish it online. Photos and videos of anything beyond smiling should be kept to yourself, not shared! I mean, don’t your parents have Facebooks?! 

facebook photobooth couple pda

Treating wall posts as love notes. The “I love you so0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o much baby”-s that pop up on Newsfeeds every 26 seconds are better left hand-written. Truth be told, they mean little when they appear on a computer screen, and that much less when you share those, um, deep sentiments with pretty much everyone you’ve ever met. 

Recording videos. These videos scream “give me attention!” even with your messy hair, no makeup, choice of laidback sweatshirt and your “OMG I’m so bored and I like, really really really really really really miss you” assertion. They often seem whiny and silly – at least, to anyone who chooses to press play. 

Comments

Ok, so while some of these are legit, the majority of this just makes the writer sound like a judgmental, bitter single person. Sure, a lot of people on FB are annoying with the relationships their in. But hey, you have the option to hit the "hide story" button or choose who to see less posts in your news feed. You're in control of what you see. But to say no one wants to see honeymoon photos, that's a bit absurd. I have a couple friends who just got married and everyone keeps asking to see the honeymoon photos. And nicknames or emotional statuses? Sure, some people probably could reign it in, but how people communicate with the one they love is their prerogative. And in a day and age where some people have to deal with long distance relationships on a regular basis, it's pretty insensitive to say that words don't mean anything when they appear on a computer screen.

Sure, some days I want to gag at other people's facebooks, but at the same time I can appreciate that at least their happy. I think an article on how to customize your newsfeed and privacy settings would be more effective than this.

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