Monday, May 31, 2010
The New Way To Celebrate Memorial Day
Happy Memorial Day! Today is a day for us Americans to remember and honor all of those who fought for our country. Apparently, it's a day for something else as well. Memorial Day is also being dubbed Quit Facebook Day. So far, about 26,000 people have deleted their Facebook accounts! Whether it be privacy reasons or just plain old stupidity, people are saying goodbye to Facebook. To become a quitter check out the website quitfacebookday.com. Oh, and have an awesome Memorial Day!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Evolution of Facebook: The Final Chapter
From AOL to PictureTrail to Friendster to Myspace we finally made it to the world of Facebook. I'm always pondering how we could have gotten by without Internet stalking but when you think about it, we didn't have to get by for that long.
For me, I was a young stalker at age 8. What could I possibly have wanted to stalk before age 8? All I cared about was if I had the newest My Little Pony and when the next Home Alone was coming out. It was a simpler time, a time when we used our 3rd grade class photo to stalk the boy we liked, not the Internet to collect info on who his latest girlfriend is, where he attended college, and whether or not he lives in Murray Hill.
Facebook started out very meagerly. In the beginning you simply posted one picture of yourself along with your basic information. Each user had a simple wall on their profile and you couldn't really tell who was writing on it. Soon it began evolving. You could add albums and tag friends and the wall became more advanced. Now when you posted it on it, your photo appeared next to your post. And even though you could now access more intimate details of your friends lives, it had not yet spiraled out of control.
Originally, Facebook was limited to college kids, which was cool because essentially a Face Book is what colleges use for students to identify each other. It didn't take very long for Facebook to become open to high school kids. And once you let high schoolers jump on the bandwagon you may as well let everyone on. From my 4th grade teacher to my Grandpa, everyone I knew now had an account.
And so, the day came when I had to part ways with Facebook. We had a nice run, but in the end, I just couldn't stay in a world where my 11 year old camper posted statues about her gym teacher being a hottie. So to all you Facebookers, enjoy your run with it, but eventually, you'll see what I mean.
For me, I was a young stalker at age 8. What could I possibly have wanted to stalk before age 8? All I cared about was if I had the newest My Little Pony and when the next Home Alone was coming out. It was a simpler time, a time when we used our 3rd grade class photo to stalk the boy we liked, not the Internet to collect info on who his latest girlfriend is, where he attended college, and whether or not he lives in Murray Hill.
Facebook started out very meagerly. In the beginning you simply posted one picture of yourself along with your basic information. Each user had a simple wall on their profile and you couldn't really tell who was writing on it. Soon it began evolving. You could add albums and tag friends and the wall became more advanced. Now when you posted it on it, your photo appeared next to your post. And even though you could now access more intimate details of your friends lives, it had not yet spiraled out of control.
Originally, Facebook was limited to college kids, which was cool because essentially a Face Book is what colleges use for students to identify each other. It didn't take very long for Facebook to become open to high school kids. And once you let high schoolers jump on the bandwagon you may as well let everyone on. From my 4th grade teacher to my Grandpa, everyone I knew now had an account.
And so, the day came when I had to part ways with Facebook. We had a nice run, but in the end, I just couldn't stay in a world where my 11 year old camper posted statues about her gym teacher being a hottie. So to all you Facebookers, enjoy your run with it, but eventually, you'll see what I mean.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
The Evolution Of Facebook: Part III
PictureTrail took me all the way through the early college years. I'd say it's reign as a top stalker site went from the mid-90s to the early 00s (is that even have you write that?). Similar to AOL it all of a sudden dropped off of my list of websites to frequent on a daily basis. Instead, something amazing took it's place. Friendster.
Friendster was the coolest, or so I thought. I honestly felt that I was getting cooler just by being on it. What a fool I was. All of the "trendy" and "cool" people I knew were joining it and like the rest of the losers my age, I joined as well.
Friendster was essentially your modern day Facebook. You could create a profile, add pictures, write on friends walls, send private messages and post your relationship status. Isn't that all that anyone is looking to do on Facebook anyway?
Myspace was making it's way to the top at the same time. However, Myspace had somehow given itself a tacky name (hence the present day situation, Jesse James finding his tattooed whores on it). I never did create a Myspace account, I felt I was above that. I was only cool enough to be on the website where people who didn't know each other stalked each others pictures to see if they would potentially want to hook up with them. Oops, failed to mention that earlier but I always got the vibe that that was the gist of Friendster.
Just like all things popular on the internet, both Myspace and Friendster began to drop off. They had both seen their day and slowly disappeared when something better came along...
Friendster was the coolest, or so I thought. I honestly felt that I was getting cooler just by being on it. What a fool I was. All of the "trendy" and "cool" people I knew were joining it and like the rest of the losers my age, I joined as well.
Friendster was essentially your modern day Facebook. You could create a profile, add pictures, write on friends walls, send private messages and post your relationship status. Isn't that all that anyone is looking to do on Facebook anyway?
Myspace was making it's way to the top at the same time. However, Myspace had somehow given itself a tacky name (hence the present day situation, Jesse James finding his tattooed whores on it). I never did create a Myspace account, I felt I was above that. I was only cool enough to be on the website where people who didn't know each other stalked each others pictures to see if they would potentially want to hook up with them. Oops, failed to mention that earlier but I always got the vibe that that was the gist of Friendster.
Just like all things popular on the internet, both Myspace and Friendster began to drop off. They had both seen their day and slowly disappeared when something better came along...
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Evolution Of Facebook: Part II
First came AOL, then came PictureTrail. I can't remember exactly what year the obsession began but I do know that it was sometime in middle school (we're reaching the mid 90s here). PictureTrail became the new stalker network for tweens and adults alike.
In case you were living in a cave in the mid-90s, PictureTrail was an online photo sharing site where users could post album upon album of the going-ons in their daily lives. Riveting, I know. I googled (thank gd for Google) PictureTrail and it actually still exists. However, it is now used for sharing photos and "image hosting," whatever the hell that means.
Anyway, let me refresh your memory on how PictureTrail actually worked. Your average dork would create a link to their PictureTrail and display it in their AOL or AIM profile. From there, the other dorks could click the link and begin to stalk pictures of people they knew and people they only knew through association. The obsession with viewing pictures of other peoples lives slowly began.
Somewhere down the line someone thought to themselves, "There's got to be a way to view information about someone and view their pictures as well." Pictures and profiles, that's genius! If only I had thought of it. And just like AOL, PictureTrail started its slow decline into the world of forgotten websites.
Which leads us to the Evolution of Facebook: Part III...
In case you were living in a cave in the mid-90s, PictureTrail was an online photo sharing site where users could post album upon album of the going-ons in their daily lives. Riveting, I know. I googled (thank gd for Google) PictureTrail and it actually still exists. However, it is now used for sharing photos and "image hosting," whatever the hell that means.
Anyway, let me refresh your memory on how PictureTrail actually worked. Your average dork would create a link to their PictureTrail and display it in their AOL or AIM profile. From there, the other dorks could click the link and begin to stalk pictures of people they knew and people they only knew through association. The obsession with viewing pictures of other peoples lives slowly began.
Somewhere down the line someone thought to themselves, "There's got to be a way to view information about someone and view their pictures as well." Pictures and profiles, that's genius! If only I had thought of it. And just like AOL, PictureTrail started its slow decline into the world of forgotten websites.
Which leads us to the Evolution of Facebook: Part III...
Monday, May 24, 2010
The Evolution Of Facebook: Part I
For a while now I've been trying to think of how we stalked before Facebook. Could we really have just gotten our information from gossip and word of mouth? We learned how to play the game "telephone" early on, starting with a boring sentence and ending with a juicy secret. It was our first taste of a lifetime of gossiping. As we grew up we began to use a real telephone to tell our little stories and then came something that changed the way we live today. AOL.
My love affair with the internet started in the 4th grade (the early 90s). My friend called and said, "Want to come over and play on the internet? Just don't tell your mom what we are doing." I was immediately intrigued. We snuck into her dad's office in her basement and spent hours perusing AOL for everything and nothing at all. We created a profile, we joined chat rooms, and we eventually got ourself kicked off of AOL because we were using dirty language (can't say that was the first time I got in trouble for that).
AOL exploded and spawned a generation of stalkers. What? Don't pretend you didn't use AOL to continuously check the profile of the boy or girl you liked. Like I said, we started using it in 4th grade, by 6th grade we were full blown stalkers. Which leads me to middle school. If you were a boy in middle school you used AOL to torture the girls your age. If you were a girl in middle school you used AOL to write code names and words for the boy you liked in your profile and you would pray that he would and would not figure it out.
But where did AOL ago? After years of AOL being the main stalker network, new sites and social scenes hit the web and overnight it was as if AOL disappeared...
Stay tuned for Part II...
My love affair with the internet started in the 4th grade (the early 90s). My friend called and said, "Want to come over and play on the internet? Just don't tell your mom what we are doing." I was immediately intrigued. We snuck into her dad's office in her basement and spent hours perusing AOL for everything and nothing at all. We created a profile, we joined chat rooms, and we eventually got ourself kicked off of AOL because we were using dirty language (can't say that was the first time I got in trouble for that).
AOL exploded and spawned a generation of stalkers. What? Don't pretend you didn't use AOL to continuously check the profile of the boy or girl you liked. Like I said, we started using it in 4th grade, by 6th grade we were full blown stalkers. Which leads me to middle school. If you were a boy in middle school you used AOL to torture the girls your age. If you were a girl in middle school you used AOL to write code names and words for the boy you liked in your profile and you would pray that he would and would not figure it out.
But where did AOL ago? After years of AOL being the main stalker network, new sites and social scenes hit the web and overnight it was as if AOL disappeared...
Stay tuned for Part II...
Friday, May 21, 2010
Weekend Playlist
Another weekend, another bachelorette party in Miami! Just like last time I've put together a little weekend playlist. Hope you enjoy and have a beautiful weekend.
Daylight by Matt and Kim
King of Anything by Sara Barielles
Memories by David Guetta
Walking on a dream by Empire of the sun
Walcott by Vampire Weekend
Electric Feel by MGMT
I feel it all by Feist
Rock that body by Black Eyed Peas
My cool by Adam Tensta
Fire in freetown by K'naan
Daylight by Matt and Kim
King of Anything by Sara Barielles
Memories by David Guetta
Walking on a dream by Empire of the sun
Walcott by Vampire Weekend
Electric Feel by MGMT
I feel it all by Feist
Rock that body by Black Eyed Peas
My cool by Adam Tensta
Fire in freetown by K'naan
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Privacy Shmivacy
Ok- so, apparently I'm not the only quitter. It has come to my attention that there are others out there like me. Probably not as nuts, but they are out there. According to articles that have been sent to me by readers (yay!), websites are popping up all over the internet to promote the quitting of Facebook. One sight, quitfacebook.com is an actual mockup of a Facebook page making fun of everything you possibly can on Facebook. The other site, quitfacebookday.com pushes a similar message as the other site and urges all future quitters to ban together and take the plunge on May 31st.
I quit Facebook because I found it consuming too much of my time for no real reason. Others feel this way as well but a lot of people are concerned with the privacy issue. I won't lie, as much as like to hate on Facebook, I haven't really been following this privacy issue at all. In fact, you are probably better informed than I am about it. But, many users are complaining, along with the US Government that Facebook leaves users with zero privacy. As much as I do agree with this, it begs me to ask the question, "Why display all of your information on a 400,000,000 person network if you are looking for privacy?"
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Give Chance A Chance
Last week I ran into a friend on the subway that I hadn't seen in 5 years. The last time I saw him we were stuffing our face in a little cafe in Florence, Italy. We never shared anything more than a Tirsamisu but I always thought of him fondly (as a friend, must I really put that out there).
Like me, he is not a member of Facebook or any other social network. When we left Italy we sent the occasional birthday text but slowly we lost touch. I can't honestly say that I had thought about him very much since Italy, but running into him was a delightful chance encounter. It made me realize that in this Facebook dominated era, the chance encounter has become something of the past.
Run-ins at a dive bar on the lower east side are no longer accidental, they're planned. A friend invites another friend to a bar via conversation on their facebook wall and soon enough the whole world knows about it. A guy likes a girl and sees she will be at this bar and "coincidentally" he shows up for a few drinks with some buddies. The girl thinks their meeting is fate, the boy knows he is a stalker.
So, are chance encounters dead? It's getting harder and harder to decipher when the run-ins are real ones or fake ones. So many of us believe in fate (I'm in the air on this one) and could take a chance encounter to mean something more than it actually is. I miss the days of bumping into a friend I haven't seen since middle school by pure chance. Instead, I see this girl all the time because both of our groups of friends have been invited on Facebook to attend the same parties.
I'm wondering, is it possible to bring back the days of bumping into someone on the sidewalk on a sunny Sunday just by chance? I faithfully believe that those days are still ahead if we allow them to be, and when you do have a chance encounter, I promise you, you will know it.
Like me, he is not a member of Facebook or any other social network. When we left Italy we sent the occasional birthday text but slowly we lost touch. I can't honestly say that I had thought about him very much since Italy, but running into him was a delightful chance encounter. It made me realize that in this Facebook dominated era, the chance encounter has become something of the past.
Run-ins at a dive bar on the lower east side are no longer accidental, they're planned. A friend invites another friend to a bar via conversation on their facebook wall and soon enough the whole world knows about it. A guy likes a girl and sees she will be at this bar and "coincidentally" he shows up for a few drinks with some buddies. The girl thinks their meeting is fate, the boy knows he is a stalker.
So, are chance encounters dead? It's getting harder and harder to decipher when the run-ins are real ones or fake ones. So many of us believe in fate (I'm in the air on this one) and could take a chance encounter to mean something more than it actually is. I miss the days of bumping into a friend I haven't seen since middle school by pure chance. Instead, I see this girl all the time because both of our groups of friends have been invited on Facebook to attend the same parties.
I'm wondering, is it possible to bring back the days of bumping into someone on the sidewalk on a sunny Sunday just by chance? I faithfully believe that those days are still ahead if we allow them to be, and when you do have a chance encounter, I promise you, you will know it.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Cause I Ain't No Holla Back Girl
There is one thing that is making me crazy lately. Well there is more than one thing, but this is the one I will share. I recently started a job where one of my responsibilities is to return calls to middle-aged women. I'm not sure if it is just this demographic or if there are more people like them, but they are doing something that makes me cringe. I don't know if they are yearning for their youth or just trying to be cool, but I'd say that about half of the women I call have ringback tones on their cell phones.
First of all, I had no idea the ringback tone was still even in existence. In case you don't know what a ringback tone is, it's the song you hear when you call someone instead of just hearing a ringing. This is not to be confused with ringtone. Ringback tone is the opposite. Second, was it ever really cool? Maybe for about 5 minutes it was a cool idea, but I'd never say it ever actually materialized to something cool.
Coolness is not even the issue. The issue is this: why must I be subjected to someone else's choice in music? Do you really think I want to hear "Walking on sunshine"? You may be slightly depressed and feel that that song lifts your spirits but it just makes me want to...well you know what I'm saying. Or, how about the mom who has Beyonce's "Single Ladies" as their ringback tone? Yeah, your married with children, you are not a single lady.
I just don't know why you think that the song that you like is the song that I want to hear at 9:30 in the morning. What is wrong with the phone making its normal noise of "ring ring"? I like ring ring. I'm used to ring ring and I don't mind it at all. What I do mind is hearing "Holla Back Girl." I may be calling you back, but I'm definitely not your holla back girl.
First of all, I had no idea the ringback tone was still even in existence. In case you don't know what a ringback tone is, it's the song you hear when you call someone instead of just hearing a ringing. This is not to be confused with ringtone. Ringback tone is the opposite. Second, was it ever really cool? Maybe for about 5 minutes it was a cool idea, but I'd never say it ever actually materialized to something cool.
Coolness is not even the issue. The issue is this: why must I be subjected to someone else's choice in music? Do you really think I want to hear "Walking on sunshine"? You may be slightly depressed and feel that that song lifts your spirits but it just makes me want to...well you know what I'm saying. Or, how about the mom who has Beyonce's "Single Ladies" as their ringback tone? Yeah, your married with children, you are not a single lady.
I just don't know why you think that the song that you like is the song that I want to hear at 9:30 in the morning. What is wrong with the phone making its normal noise of "ring ring"? I like ring ring. I'm used to ring ring and I don't mind it at all. What I do mind is hearing "Holla Back Girl." I may be calling you back, but I'm definitely not your holla back girl.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Because This Isn't Obnoxious At All
If I were dining at my favorite restaurant and walked in to this obscene display in the lobby I may have just walked out. A reader snapped the picture above upon entering his favorite restaurant. Congratulations, restaurant which I will not name for winning the Diner's Choice Award. However, was it really necessary to ruin your chic atmosphere by asking your diners to vote for you on Facebook and Twitter?
Maybe I'm a more traditional type of gal, but I like to enter a restaurant or a store or any public place for that matter and enjoy the decor of my surroundings. I know that if I walk in somewhere and the walls are covered in mosiac tiles and sleek mirrors I'm most likely in for a treat. Restaurants that take pride in their appearance most likely take pride in their food. Dining out is about more than just eating. It's about the atmosphere and the ambiance. Tell me really, does it turn you on when you walk into a place with a wall covered in Facebook and Twitter? I think not.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
This Just In: We Are All Morons
This commercial gets me every time. While I find it to be utterly stupid, I also find it to be quite funny. I only posted this version of the commercial but there are about 5 different versions out there, all equally as funny.
In case you missed the sarcasm, this guy is definitely making fun of the useless Facebook updates. At the same time, AT&T is promoting the fact that you can get these idiotic wall posts and updates on your phone in an instant. So, this is what is appeal to the masses these days? Wow, we are dumb.
Monday, May 10, 2010
If You Live Under A Rock...
...Than you need to watch the clip below!
First of all, before I even begin to talk about Betty's Facebook rant, I just have to say that Betty killed it on SNL!!! She was so amazingly funny, and I seriously can not believe she's 88. That being said, how awesome was it when she made fun of Facebook?! "I'm not saying people on it are losers, but thats only because I'm being polite." You tell em, Betty.
From relationship statuses to poking, Betty covered all the ridiculousness that occurs on Facebook and said quite frankly that it seems like a waste of time! If you didn't get a chance to see Betty's opening monologue, please watch the clip above. Enjoy!
First of all, before I even begin to talk about Betty's Facebook rant, I just have to say that Betty killed it on SNL!!! She was so amazingly funny, and I seriously can not believe she's 88. That being said, how awesome was it when she made fun of Facebook?! "I'm not saying people on it are losers, but thats only because I'm being polite." You tell em, Betty.
From relationship statuses to poking, Betty covered all the ridiculousness that occurs on Facebook and said quite frankly that it seems like a waste of time! If you didn't get a chance to see Betty's opening monologue, please watch the clip above. Enjoy!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Man Vs. Fat
America is fat. There is no polite way to say it, so I have to just say it like it is. Have you ever strolled around Disney Land and seen the way people consume fudge? Not pretty. Our country is struggling with an obesity issue and yet one of the sports that is on the rise is competitive eating. Does this make sense to you? I'm not talking about the National Hot Dog Eating contest (which I love), I'm talking about the shows that are on TV that we love to watch yet make us want to puke.
I love food. I absolutely love to eat. I wake up in the morning and want to know what I am eating for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between. It drives me insane when my brother says he forgot to eat lunch. How could you forget? I've been thinking about it since breakfast! However, I know how to draw that line (most of the time). There are definitely days when I gorge on my mom's homemade brownies and house late night Oreo cookies and milk, but for the most part, I try not to eat like a 300 lbs man.
Speaking of a 300 lbs man let me start with Adam Richman. I know, he's not 300 lbs, he's probably more around 200 lbs, but that guy can take down food like it's his job. Oh wait, it is his job. As the host of Man Vs. Food, Richman goes around the country to find the biggest, baddest dishes and tries to house them in a certain amount of time. These "challenges" include foods like an 11 lbs pizza, a 72 ounce steak, a 12 lbs hamburger, and much much more. I won't lie, it's pretty damn entertaining to watch. I actually sit on my couch and cheer this guy on! And, then I think to myself that there is definitely something strange about me wanting a complete stranger to eat 40 inches of Bratwurst.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on Adam. I actually really like him. He's got a kind of charm about him, I just can't imagine that what he is doing to his body is going to keep him charming for very long.
My problem is that America is so fat to begin with, do we really need to watch people make themselves fat? I was watching some show the other day where a man actually tattooed a sandwich to his stomach as a reminder that he won a sandwich eating competition. Buddy, I'm pretty sure your stomach remembers that competition already, no need to tattoo it.
Want an alternative? Jamie Oliver. He's pretty to look at and his show is good too. It's called Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and it's all about promoting healthy eating and starting it at a young age. I know it doesn't sound as fun as watching a man consume a 20-egg omelet, but next time you're considering dropping a few lbs before your vacation to the Bahamas you may want to take Jamie's advice over Adam's.
I love food. I absolutely love to eat. I wake up in the morning and want to know what I am eating for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between. It drives me insane when my brother says he forgot to eat lunch. How could you forget? I've been thinking about it since breakfast! However, I know how to draw that line (most of the time). There are definitely days when I gorge on my mom's homemade brownies and house late night Oreo cookies and milk, but for the most part, I try not to eat like a 300 lbs man.
Speaking of a 300 lbs man let me start with Adam Richman. I know, he's not 300 lbs, he's probably more around 200 lbs, but that guy can take down food like it's his job. Oh wait, it is his job. As the host of Man Vs. Food, Richman goes around the country to find the biggest, baddest dishes and tries to house them in a certain amount of time. These "challenges" include foods like an 11 lbs pizza, a 72 ounce steak, a 12 lbs hamburger, and much much more. I won't lie, it's pretty damn entertaining to watch. I actually sit on my couch and cheer this guy on! And, then I think to myself that there is definitely something strange about me wanting a complete stranger to eat 40 inches of Bratwurst.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on Adam. I actually really like him. He's got a kind of charm about him, I just can't imagine that what he is doing to his body is going to keep him charming for very long.
My problem is that America is so fat to begin with, do we really need to watch people make themselves fat? I was watching some show the other day where a man actually tattooed a sandwich to his stomach as a reminder that he won a sandwich eating competition. Buddy, I'm pretty sure your stomach remembers that competition already, no need to tattoo it.
Want an alternative? Jamie Oliver. He's pretty to look at and his show is good too. It's called Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and it's all about promoting healthy eating and starting it at a young age. I know it doesn't sound as fun as watching a man consume a 20-egg omelet, but next time you're considering dropping a few lbs before your vacation to the Bahamas you may want to take Jamie's advice over Adam's.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Twice Is Not Nice
Ahhhh, springtime. The sun is shining and my skin is slowly changing from translucent to golden bronze. It's not too hot (although I wouldn't mind if it was), it doesn't get too cold and you get to start wearing your favorite outfits that have been hiding out in the back of your closet all winter. And, hopefully by now you've dropped the 5-10 lbs of winter weight you gained because you were too bulked out in sweaters to notice you put it on in the first place.
If you're like me, all of your friends are getting engaged and married which means you've got tons of parties to attend. There's engagement parties, bachelorette parties, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, and the main event, weddings (did I miss anything?). While this is all good and fun, you have to start thinking about what you will be wearing to each event. And, if you're on Facebook, it also means that you can't wear the same outfit twice!
Trust me, this is an "issue" girls are having more frequently than you may like to believe. There is a certain stigma attached with wearing the same outfit twice. It's like we think we are celebrities on the red carpet; once the outfits are photographed on the red carpet they can't be worn again. Here's the thing, we're not celebrities and nobody cares!
This is all very shallow, I know, but this is what girls do. It's sad and weird but we just can't help it. The thought process of picking out an outfit is no longer just about what shoes to wear with what top, and if you should wear skinny jeans or not. The process of putting together an outfit is now dominated with Facebook related questions: Have I worn this outfit on Facebook? How along ago was I tagged in a picture wearing this outfit? Can I wear this outfit even though I was tagged in it in September of '07? The question you really have to ask yourself is, "Does this really matter?"
At this point I know you are thinking that I left a few things out. What if you are running with two different crowds, two different weekends, can I wear the same outfit with different crowds? According to the unspoken laws of Facebook, as long as no one posts pictures you're good to go. What about when you have an amazing outfit that you can't wait to wear but you know that no one at the party you are attending is going to post those pictures on Facebook. Do you wear it or do you save it for a Facebook picture posted event?
These questions are absurd, and it would be a blatant lie if I told you I never asked myself them while I was on Facebook. However, my outfit choosing is stress and Facebook free these days! And, once again, ask yourself, "Does this really matter?" If your answer is "yes" you may need to seriously reevaluate your priorities. Have fun with that!
If you're like me, all of your friends are getting engaged and married which means you've got tons of parties to attend. There's engagement parties, bachelorette parties, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, and the main event, weddings (did I miss anything?). While this is all good and fun, you have to start thinking about what you will be wearing to each event. And, if you're on Facebook, it also means that you can't wear the same outfit twice!
Trust me, this is an "issue" girls are having more frequently than you may like to believe. There is a certain stigma attached with wearing the same outfit twice. It's like we think we are celebrities on the red carpet; once the outfits are photographed on the red carpet they can't be worn again. Here's the thing, we're not celebrities and nobody cares!
This is all very shallow, I know, but this is what girls do. It's sad and weird but we just can't help it. The thought process of picking out an outfit is no longer just about what shoes to wear with what top, and if you should wear skinny jeans or not. The process of putting together an outfit is now dominated with Facebook related questions: Have I worn this outfit on Facebook? How along ago was I tagged in a picture wearing this outfit? Can I wear this outfit even though I was tagged in it in September of '07? The question you really have to ask yourself is, "Does this really matter?"
At this point I know you are thinking that I left a few things out. What if you are running with two different crowds, two different weekends, can I wear the same outfit with different crowds? According to the unspoken laws of Facebook, as long as no one posts pictures you're good to go. What about when you have an amazing outfit that you can't wait to wear but you know that no one at the party you are attending is going to post those pictures on Facebook. Do you wear it or do you save it for a Facebook picture posted event?
These questions are absurd, and it would be a blatant lie if I told you I never asked myself them while I was on Facebook. However, my outfit choosing is stress and Facebook free these days! And, once again, ask yourself, "Does this really matter?" If your answer is "yes" you may need to seriously reevaluate your priorities. Have fun with that!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Thank You, Oh Thank You, You're Far Too Kind
When it comes to Facebook, The New York Times was really on their game this weekend. Not only did they post the brilliant article, Antisocial Networking, which I broke down into the New York Times For Dummies version yesterday but they also posted an article called Gratitude Adjustment, which will get the same breakdown today.
From Evites to thank you notes, Alexandra Jacobs (the writer of the article, duh) discusses her disdain for all things tacky. Not that the thank you note is tacky, but there are some ways of going about it that are cheese-a-rific.
You can take a gander at the article yourself, but Jacobs, who recently threw a dinner party was absolutely appalled when a friend thanked her husband on Facebook. She says, "I was horrified the first time my husband and I were thanked on Facebook. Actually it was only my husband who received the thanks- I refuse to join this moronic, soul-sucking "social-media network."
Alexandra Jacobs, I love you! I could not have described Facebook any better. Her words may seem harsh but I've been trying to find the words for the past 4 months and she has summed up my feelings exactly!
Somewhere between Facebook and Twitter, we've lost track of our manners. Thanking a person on Facebook, never OK! It's like wishing someone a happy birthday by posting it on their Facebook wall. Is it really that much of a challenge to pick up the phone and say "Happy Birthday"? I think not. "Thank you," are two of the nicest words you can say to somebody so why don't you actually say them next time and not use the soul-sucking network to share your feelings.
From Evites to thank you notes, Alexandra Jacobs (the writer of the article, duh) discusses her disdain for all things tacky. Not that the thank you note is tacky, but there are some ways of going about it that are cheese-a-rific.
You can take a gander at the article yourself, but Jacobs, who recently threw a dinner party was absolutely appalled when a friend thanked her husband on Facebook. She says, "I was horrified the first time my husband and I were thanked on Facebook. Actually it was only my husband who received the thanks- I refuse to join this moronic, soul-sucking "social-media network."
Alexandra Jacobs, I love you! I could not have described Facebook any better. Her words may seem harsh but I've been trying to find the words for the past 4 months and she has summed up my feelings exactly!
Somewhere between Facebook and Twitter, we've lost track of our manners. Thanking a person on Facebook, never OK! It's like wishing someone a happy birthday by posting it on their Facebook wall. Is it really that much of a challenge to pick up the phone and say "Happy Birthday"? I think not. "Thank you," are two of the nicest words you can say to somebody so why don't you actually say them next time and not use the soul-sucking network to share your feelings.
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Times They Are A-Changin
When I try to make a point about social networking I post it on my blog and send it out into the infinite abyss that is the internet. Who even reads this blog, anyway? However, when the New York Times wants to make a point about social networking, they print it in the Sunday paper on the cover of the Sunday Styles (my fave section) making sure the whole world has a chance to read what they have to say. And, what is it that they have to say about social networks? Exactly what I've been saying all along...
Long gone are the days when kids had conversations face to face. Now if your looking to have a convo with a tween or teen it's almost strictly text, email, bbm, facebook, twitter, formspring, myspace (do people even use myspace anymore?) and any other form of communication that does not involve social skills. Due to this lack of face to face interactions children are missing social cues when they are forced to have real life convos with other children and adults.
The worry of the social world used to be sexting and cyber bullying. Not that sexting or cyber bullying have diminished, however, we now also have to be concerned about children's dependency on social network sites and technological gadgets to communicate.
Wrap your head around this: According to the New York Times, "Children between the ages of 8-18 spend an average of 7 1/2 hours per day using some sort of electronic device from smartphones to MP3 players to computers." So, when a child wants to tell his friend a secret, he now writes it in a Facebook message. When he wants to share a funny story, he writes it on his buddy's Facebook wall. So glad children still want to share things with each other but the technological way of going about sharing is certainly beginning to show consequences.
Apparently, there are parents who think that social networking sites are a dream come true for their socially awkward child. A "shy" child can now express themselves via the internet or text and make friends that they would never have made. Hello? This is not a good thing. These are the kids who end up sexting naked pictures of themselves in a hopes of becoming popular and use Facebook as a platform to make connections with "friends" who most likely are just making fun of them behind their back or should I say Facebook page?
Moral of the story, Facebook will not make you cool. If you miss out on social cues early on in life you are doomed to be an awkward human the rest of your life. How do I know this? I don't, but the Times does and they are pretty official. I'd take their word for it if I were you.
Long gone are the days when kids had conversations face to face. Now if your looking to have a convo with a tween or teen it's almost strictly text, email, bbm, facebook, twitter, formspring, myspace (do people even use myspace anymore?) and any other form of communication that does not involve social skills. Due to this lack of face to face interactions children are missing social cues when they are forced to have real life convos with other children and adults.
The worry of the social world used to be sexting and cyber bullying. Not that sexting or cyber bullying have diminished, however, we now also have to be concerned about children's dependency on social network sites and technological gadgets to communicate.
Wrap your head around this: According to the New York Times, "Children between the ages of 8-18 spend an average of 7 1/2 hours per day using some sort of electronic device from smartphones to MP3 players to computers." So, when a child wants to tell his friend a secret, he now writes it in a Facebook message. When he wants to share a funny story, he writes it on his buddy's Facebook wall. So glad children still want to share things with each other but the technological way of going about sharing is certainly beginning to show consequences.
Apparently, there are parents who think that social networking sites are a dream come true for their socially awkward child. A "shy" child can now express themselves via the internet or text and make friends that they would never have made. Hello? This is not a good thing. These are the kids who end up sexting naked pictures of themselves in a hopes of becoming popular and use Facebook as a platform to make connections with "friends" who most likely are just making fun of them behind their back or should I say Facebook page?
Moral of the story, Facebook will not make you cool. If you miss out on social cues early on in life you are doomed to be an awkward human the rest of your life. How do I know this? I don't, but the Times does and they are pretty official. I'd take their word for it if I were you.
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