Another visit to Facebook

This is a re-visit to this subject. I posted on this back in June 2010, a little over five years ago. I continue to be fascinated with the world of Facebook. What makes it relevent? Why do we find it compelling? Why can't some of us leave it alone? What makes some people want to post argumentative, contentious comments? Why do some people want to post intimate details about their lives? Even when nobody gives a rip about those details. Some people literally live on it. They are the ones who immediately respond to others comments. It is connected to their central nervous system some way.

I notice that people like to comment about current social trends. Example: I am a Mormon so many of my Facebook "friends" are Mormons as well. Our church leadership recently took a position on the extension of some church ordinances to children of LGBT Latter Day Saints. This has truly become a tempest in a tea pot. Particularly so in Salt Lake City, the world headquarters of the Mormon church. There is some sort of adaptive technology that allows people to shade their FB pictures with colors. I have noticed that many SLC Mormons have adopted the rainbow as their shade color. Many of them have expressed outrage over their church' position on children of LGBT Mormons. Nevermind that the church published a Family Proclamation on the Family. It was published 20 years ago. The church position on same sex marriage was established then. If there is such a thing in our church as a same sex couple the likelihood that they have children is slim to none. Yet there has been extreme commentary on Facebook. People have left the church over this administrative stance due to their personal outrage. They don't leave quietly. They leave in a great pretense of anger and melodrama. My opinion? They were looking for something to leave over anyway.

Facebook in the hands of some members is a portal to writing a script to a soap opera. You get used to seeing them and you cannot resist reading their posts. I think it is akin to reality television. I could give you a list of a dozen or so people who post long detail laden comments about their loneliness, their recent divorce, unemployment, health issues, hobbies, the list is long and pervasive. Why? No one really cares. If you are getting divorced, go into the night quietly. If you are coming out of the closet, do so with a semblance of quietude. No one cares or is interested. Why inflict the reservoirs of your confusion in discovering your inner self on the rest of us. We have our own issues to deal with. Why are you posting? Why am I reading?

Why do others like to start an argument? My football is team is way better than your football team. My political party is much more insightful and significant than yours. All you perverts out there are going to hell.
Some particular regions and cities are inferior to where I live. Why would anyone want to post those controversial issues on Facebook?

I believe that Facebook has found a market in loneliness and unhappiness. Those amongst our society who are too lazy, under funded, disconnected and so forth to actually go out and do something gravitate to Facebook. Rather than go to work for a political candidate we like, go to games, or take up a cause we access that Facebook app and post what is on our mind. We type and post and then we turn on our reality show on TV and raid the fridge. We have made a contribution?

Of course there are those who use Facebook to post pictures to share with friends and families. I think of the Ice Bucket challenge. Millions raised for ALS largely due to Facebook posts. The addiction pays off in those realms.

One thing for sure, Facebook is not going away. There are those who will never be on it. I think of my son, my wife, my daughter. My son shared with me concerning a job he applied for. There were 35 positions open and 1500 applications. The position required a background check. He told me that the background checkers had that applicant list down to less than 500 almost immediately. How so? Simply by taking a look at what they posted on Facebook. Anything you put on the world wide web is there to stay. Even when you think you have deleted it. Smart people can resurrect it and read it.

I suppose this is the same reason some people Blog. Speaking of which, I need to post this for all 6 of my followers and go watch Duck Dynasty.