Few years ago, I had written about therapeutic anonymity provided by internet. During the initial days of internet, chat-rooms and blogs were very popular and were a medium of strangers to congregate and share often very personal and private topics. People used alias to discuss and rarely shared pictures and protected their identity.
These days’ people use social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.) allowing you to interact with 1000+ connections simultaneously. Yet do these connections actually mean that they are connected?
This is in spite of the fact that most people share more online then they do with their real life friends. Some people are so verbose online that they leave very little to imagination. The archives of photos, real time tweets and personal details can enable anybody to pin point your location, what you are doing and whom you are meeting with scaring precision. Infact there are certain companies/applications that specializes in creating a psychological profile of the person based on his/her posts, likes and shares.
Hence the question: How well do you really know a person who has been your social media (only) friend for years? Is online an extension of self or a projection of self? (In other words is your online life and broadcasted posts hinting a life that you ‘desire’ to live or what you ‘actually’ live? Do we have a same connect/bonding online that we have by spending 5 min with another soul in person/over phone? Is the virtual world & Social media solution to basic human problem that although they want intimacy, they don’t want to walk to a neighbor and say ‘Hi!’?
Categories
Facebook connect vs. getting connected
street, Bengaluru South, Karnataka, India
5 replies on “Facebook connect vs. getting connected”
You must have online relationships only with those whom you have met and know well physically. That way there is no danger. To have relationships with those who you have not met or will never meet create another id.
Most ridiculous comment I’ve read lately. Please don’t respond to my comment, lest you risk knowing me as a person (since we don’t know each other offline, you see?).
I think you ask several great questions here. I’ve been online friends with some folks for years. Never felt like the image they project was not the “real” image. Again, this is probably because I chose not to be friends with those whom I cannot trust. The virtual world definitely makes it easier for someone to put up a pretense. However, this doesn’t mean our bonding with friends we meet online has to be any less. Yes, they don’t see our day to day tantrums and probably see our best foot forward almost always. You can meet someone online and later in life, meet them offline as well. Just because you don’t know a certain someone through your “offline” world doesn’t mean there is a reason to not be friends with that person. This is an outdated concept in today’s world.
I have friends offline. I meet with them, talk to them, share my problems with them. However, it’s been easier for me to find people with similar interests online, because I’m not restricted geographically.
What we put in our online profiles is under our control as well. Actually, I don’t think I’m really “connected” to most of my Facebook friends, even though 90% of them are from my offline world 🙂 Being friends on Facebook doesn’t mean anything. It’s the ultimate lazy solution to remaining friends with someone. For me, Twitter & WP have been a better podium!
Surprising how you changed your comments. How your 5.03 AM comment is posted BEFORE the 5.02 AM comment is matter of mystery. Going back in time? Am not saying more since you have said “Please don’t respond to my comment, lest you risk knowing me as a person (since we don’t know each other offline, you see?).”
exactly Ram and Ruhi…. facebook often does not add much meaningful social bonding. they are good for flirtations and broadcasting.. nothing much apart from that.
@Ram… its the wordpress template… i don’t edit the comments or the code