Facebook.
That's a fun word. It provokes different and stimulating reactions. Much like 'Iraq'. And 'Bush'. And any other word that smacks of world politics. You get the rabid devotees, you get the 'no-way-in-hell' crowd, and you get the neutral little fence-sitters (like me.)
But ah, Facebook...
...tis something of a blessing, yet the bane of my existence.
After mostly neglecting Facebook for months, except to use that nifty photo sharing feature, I dove back into the tangled web of online networking earlier tonight. And then I remembered exactly why I spent so much time on it last year during exam time.
Torts...versus...Facebook.
Property law....versus Facebook.
No contest. It's a time sapper and the ultimate procrastination tool. I wandered around the site posting random crap on people's walls instead of working on my tutorial problems.
And the thing about Facebook is that everyone is literally at your fingertips. The RSS feed in particular is pretty much the ultimate stalking tool and a voluntary offer to relinquish your privacy. I'm trying very hard not to shout out to my beloved s21A of the Crimes Act, but there, I did it...21A 21A 21A....
Facebook is sort of useful, in that I've caught up with old friends from high school and primary school, and it's handy if people are overseas.
On the other hand, it is, once again, a poor substitute for face-to-face contact. I keep hearing about the whole '90% of communication is in your body language'- now and then, that little factoid tends to pop up in weekend magazines and the ever trusty adhesive backs on Libra pads. But people nowadays, including myself, are so time-poor that it quickly becomes a cheap substitute for human interaction. Kind of like missing breakfast and drinking an Up-And-Go instead. Cheap nutrition that won't last.
I strongly believe that the anathema to Facebook is...
...coffee.
I love coffee. I love the aroma, I love the fact that a grande size latte can lift my mood right up, I like doodling on the little paper cup in lectures while Kristine gives me odd looks, I like cradling the steaming cup to my lips and breathing in the steam, I like clutching the mug on morning shifts at work (assistant manager: "Quick! Scull it before a customer interrupts you!") and the other day, I skipped my lecture and just sat in the little garden behind the law building with a little plastic cup having a little moment of Daphne-introspection.
But most of all, I like sitting down for a couple of hours with a mug at a cafe with some good company. Most often it's just one person, sometimes two, but I strongly believe that sustaining an easy conversation over three hours with one mug is the best way to get to know someone.
If I had an ideal date*, it would probably have to involve coffee. Because if there's going to be any awkwardness, it'll be ironed out straight away once the cup is drained.
And sometimes companionable silence is a good thing.
I will give two examples here from personal experience- one, where I caught up with a friend in the city (and the coffee was absolutely terrible) and after four hours over one cup, we realised it had gotten dark and we hadn't even noticed, we were so caught up in the conversation. The other example was when I rather unwillingly accepted an offer for coffee (but I was being polite and couldn't say no) and I personally felt so uncomfortable that I wanted to run away screaming.
But that was a one in a million occurrence.
So you know what? Go through your Facebook contacts. Weed out the random ones, look at the ones that you love, the ones whom you're close to, the ones that you've lost contact with but still care for...and go get a coffee.
It beats a Wall Post any time.
Or a freaking Super Fun Wall Post.
Or whatever the fuck they're called.
And if it's a total disaster, I give you permission to spam my wall.
Just no Viagra offers, please.
*And by this, I mean any ideal date that DID NOT involve Jensen Ackles, Tom Welling or John Barrowman. Or all three at once...
3 comments:
I like the term "time-poor", so true. But for me (and probably lots of people) it more of an inefficiency of time. I have lots of time, I just get nothing done. For example, i should be writing the lab report that is due tomorrow, but insted i'm reading blogs.
But on the facebook, I like it. Sure it's good to have face-to-face time, but it's also good, for the socially awkward like myself to have face-to-not-face time. And it's very hard to have face-to-face time with people that have gone back to their country of origin.
I took your wise advise and contacted a friend who I have not seen in a long time. And got a facebook wall message back.
And who woulda thought, but I now feel warm and fuzzy. :)
You stay warm as well ok, and drink lots of fluids, and use this opportunity to stay in bed and watch Jenson Ackles without that feeling of gnawing guilt that you should be studying.
Yess, I agree coffee is nice, I've fallen in love with chai lattes!!!! Which technically isn't a coffee, but generates the same good feelings.
I think the hardest part is organising time. Because I'm always really good at laxing around doing nothing, I find that most people's time never really matches mine which sucks.
Facebook is for when one is trying to avoid more unpleasant duties such as actual study.... hehhe!
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