03 December 2008

I'm addicted to Facebook

That's right. I'm officially an addict. I started out with MySpace - it was a great way to get back in touch with old friends or just be nosy about acquaintences. My mom said I was setting myself up to be stalked by sex predators. My sister told me I was so stupid for having a MySpace account (she was way too sophisticated for that).

Then I heard about Facebook and decided to check it out. I didn't like it - it was so different from MySpace and the layout was difficult to get used to. Besides, I felt like once I had an established MySpace page, it would be too hard to switch over to Facebook (kind of like getting a new email address - you're afraid people won't get the memo). I cancelled my Facebook account and decided to stick with MySpace.

I'm not sure when it happened or why - but I suddenly felt the urge to check out Facebook again. I started to feel like MySpace was so, like, ya know, juvenile. Yes, Facebook was definitely the way to go. I posted the best possible picture of myself (nevermind that it's from 3 years and 2 kids ago) and was on my way, slowly adding friends and updating my "Taryn is" status a couple times a week.

Out of the blue, my sister sends me a friend request. Yes, the same sister who gave me crap about MySpace. I laughed out loud as I confirmed her as my friend. I was her first. A few days later I checked her page again. She had 35 friends! Wait a minute, I only had 27. My too-sophisticated-for-MySpace sister had more friends than me. It was on. I began to message people from high school, grade school, college, my old job, and on and on. My sister was not going to out-friend me! What's become of me?

I now check my Facebook page religiously. I get excited when I open my email to find that so-and-so who knows me from such-and-such wants to be friends. Again. I used to laugh at the frequency with which people changed their status. I mean is it really necessary for people to know that you just changed a poopy diaper and now you are trying to get through last nights episode of Grey's Anatomy on DVR before your kid wakes up? Well, not really, but I find myself typing things as trivial as that on a daily basis. No, make that several times a day. UGH.

Let's face it (no pun intended), Facebook is pretty much the new high school reunion. The only reason anybody ever really wants to go to those things anyway is for one of two reasons: to show off how good you look, how much money you make, or how beautiful your children are OR to find out how good others look, how much money they make or how beautiful their children are. With Facebook, you eliminate the stressing about what you'll wear to the reunion. Instead, you can post pictures that show off only your best side. And if you really want to, you can photoshop the picture to make yourself look 10 pounds lighter (I've never done that by the way ;)

So, yes, if you ask, I'll be your friend. I sincerely love seeing how and what everyone is doing. And if I ask you to be my friend, I promise it isn't just to one-up my sister :)

PS - does anyone know if Dixie's class of 99 is going to have a reunion?

3 comments :

  1. Taryn...I'm CRACKING UP! I love checking out people yet not having to actually talk to them. You are speaking for everyone out there on this post. It's so true and if I knew how to use photoshop I would. Amen sister.

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  2. Welcome to the club...Facebook is my crack.

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  3. Hilarious! I only wish I had more time for Facebook. Great post!

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