Social Cues

Social media is a "funny" thing.  I understand it, but I don't get it - if that makes sense.

I guess blogging is social media, though I don't put it in the same category as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. I use all those things differently - if at all.  You see my blogging here. My IG has artsy-fartsy pictures I try to take, Twitter is for viewing, not participating, and Facebook actually has more nonsense than this blog.

With the latter, I rarely post political things - as that just devolves into flame wars (remember those, when there were "message boards" circa 1992???).

I use FB to post some pics or share stupid stuff, mostly. Usually, it becomes a faux flame war between Mike and myself. All loving jabs, I'm sure.................on my side.

I can no longer find the tweet (I think it was) that was posted on Facebook, but it sums up the app perfectly - and of something I am guilty of here and there:  As Notre Dame burned, people (moi aussi) put up their pictures of the cathedral.  The tweet accurately read {paraphrasing}:  when did this tragedy become about you bragging about your trip to Europe. 

SLAM!   ....and accurate.   Internally I laughed.  710 did so externally, as I read it to him.

Over this last weekend, an acquaintance of mine died. Cut to the chase: he committed suicide.

We couldn't call each other friends, and while he'd be nice to me here and there, more often than not, any little thing I said would get him in a huff. I never really took it personally because, well, we weren't friends and I had to believe that I wasn't the only one this type of interaction took place.   I could totally be wrong about that too.

Oddly, while a little sad, I wasn't horribly surprised either.

It was the social media (read: Facebook) responses to his death - and I'm sorry in advance - that had me rolling my eyes.

Of course, there were the "so sorry you passed". Mind you, it's possible most people didn't know he took his own life. But I watched is start to creep the the "me", and it went beyond "I remember when...." stuff.

It got to the "I talked to him, I was dealing with other, stuff, WHY couldn't I have saved him......" to the point where it was no longer about the victim.........except now there was a new victim.  Everyone jumping in to absolve this guy.  Hence the rolling of my eyes.

Or the guy who started his post with a remembrance which quickly went south. He chided others (no names) for him having to find out via social media of this death......and then signed off with a FUCK YOU ALL !!!!

Klassy.

My first thought was these people were acting out in grief - which might be partially true. But deeper down, it became a the "look at me" culture. My opinion, of course.

I had nothing to contribute to any of the conversations, not even the insincere "condolence", as who would I even give it to.  I just read for a while and shut down the laptop.

I need to do that more.



Song by: Cage the Elephant