My Love/Hate Relationship with Facebook

Having been on Facebook for just over a year now, I've developed a love/hate relationship with the social networking site. Several months ago I wrote a post cautioning folks to be careful of who they "friend", but also encouraging users that Facebook can be a wonderful tool for evangelization, and inserting a Christian worldview into the internet world, little by little.

A couple of Facebook episodes last week, alone, have led me to re-evalutate the merits, or lack thereof, of social websites. First of all, I was schooled in modesty by two 18 year old chums of my oldest daughter after the breast-cancer-awareness-campaign had gone awry, for which I was very sorry. Realizing a little too late I had broken a cardinal rule: Some things just do not need to be broadcast to the entire internet world. My error was inadvertent, but I really should have thought my actions through to their natural conclusion before getting involved in the whole "bra-haha".

Later, the same week, I came across a status update written by one of my dearest friends. While reading comments, her friends had left, one in particular stuck out in a very sore thumb sort of way. Her friend had included in her comment a very anti-Catholic statement, and a very inaccurate one to boot. I was incensed, but I decided I would not respond publicly. One rule I do adhere to is to not get into arguments about religion or politics on Facebook. I don't believe peoples' hearts and minds can be changed with the short little snippets and exchanges that occur on Facebook. Instead, I decided to air my grievance privately to my friend, pointing out that her friend had really offended me as a Catholic. Thankfully, my friend was equally mortified and at a loss as to what to do, write, or say. Thankfully, my friend is a wonderful person with an open, generous, and loving heart who let me rant at her for something completely out of her control.

While I do enjoy Facebook and enjoy my weird web friendships, it can become a very irksome environment. I need to be sure I continue to adhere to my initial reasons for Facebooking and make sure my posts are edifying and uplifting, if not occasionally humorous.