I’m still enjoying the holiday season, but wanted to thank several people who have asked me to become their Facebook friend.
Sometimes I feel like my family might be the last hold-outs from Facebook and other social networks. We simply don’t belong to those internet clubs. Don’t get me wrong>>> We keep up with our friends, we just don’t keep up with them through internet social groups. We write (and talk!) to family and friends, but we don’t “connect” with them through those sites. We don’t have any particular reason for not joining them, we simply don’t want to.
I mentioned before that one of my daughter’s professors required that the class contact each other through Facebook. So, clearly, she became a member during that semester, but she quit right after that obligation was fulfilled.
I have been asked by several Cozy Mystery readers to join their groups of friends on Facebook, but since I am not a member, I clearly have not. The only real reason I have for not joining is that I already find myself spending way too much time sitting at my computer, and fear that if I were a member of a social network, I would spend even more time seated in front of my computer screen.
But thank you to all of you who have invited me to join your groups!
Patti says
I do not belong to any of those things either. I think my husband and I are the only ones left who do not own a cell phone. We still have a landline and that is all. I guess we both think it is ridiculous to be tied to a phone. We get enough calls with our jobs and I personally, do not want to be at someone’s beck and call 24/7. Now, I think cell phones are a terrific thing to have when travelling and if we ever did that, I would buy a throwaway one just for that purpose. I prefer writing letters also. These phones and computers have seriously cut into people interacting with one another on a human level and actually having a conversation and not texting one another. That is just my opinion, though. Gadgets are OK, but sometimes people let them take over their life.
marge says
Hooray! I’m with you.
Alfred says
Danna you’re not alone I don’t do facebook or twitter either. I feel I don’t need the hassle to join other sites. I am just happy doing what I do now and that is fine with me.
Ann says
I’m with you. I did “join” Facebook but couldn’t believe the people who came out of the woodwork and wanted to be my “friend”. It made me dizzy.
Ann
Denise says
I don’t facebook or tweet either. In fact up until a month or so ago I just read the blog on this site and had never responded to any comments. I agree with Patti. As a teacher while technology is great in the classroom we have opened Pandora’s box and there is way too much out there that does not need to be. I see writing letters, spelling and even handwriting are hard for alot of students because of computers and texting not to mention social skills such as the art of conversation that are what they were back in the day. I guess I am just too old.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Wow! I guess I was wrong! My family isN’T the last hold-out on Twitter, Facebook, ETC.
Mae says
Danna, I don’t do any of the social networks. I agree with what you have said. I keep in contact with relatives/friends via phone or email.
Carrie says
I’m another one who hasn’t joined Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. I enjoy speaking to my friends or sending them e-mails. I really don’t want to live my life electronically. I use a computer for work and for pleasure and I’m concerned that if I joined any of those social networking sites I would end up only interacting with my friends via my computer and I don’t want that.
Also, several of my friends who have Facebook or Twitter accounts have commented on the hundreds of total strangers who contact them wanting to be their friends. They say that it is disturbing just how many people want to “get to know them” for absolutely no reason at all.
Sherri says
I don’t do social network sites either. There’s a lot more of us than most people realize. I quite frankly don’t know where people find the time! When I connect with people, I still do so by phone or in person. I do email though.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I think you’re right, Sherri. The media and internet make it look like everyone is a member of those social networks.
beth says
Looks like I am in the minority here! 🙂 I love facebook. It has been a great tool for keeping in touch with friends and relatives across the country who I don’t get to see nearly enough. It’s actually made me closer with people who I wouldn’t have necessarily had a “regular” channel to interact with, like the wife of a cousin. She is delightful and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to know that at a once every five year trip home. It’s also a nice way to share photos with a large group of people. If they want to see my trip pictures to Maine, they can, and they can at their leisure. If they couldn’t care less about them (shocking, I know!), they don’t have to look or respond. I think people with 700 friends are ridiculous, but there’s no reason you have to be friends with someone you don’t want to be. I’ve been judicious about who I choose to be friends with, and it’s just fine. It’s also a nice way for me to have updates fed to me from various organizatons I’m interested in (museums, orchestras, restaurants, national parks, book review sites, etc) that I would otherwise spend lots of time huntng down on my own – or never know about and miss an opportunity to see a special art exhibit. Those are just some of the things I like about it. Like I said earlier, I just see it is as another tool for communication. And yes, I still communicate regularly, happily, and in a socially acceptable way when I’m with living, breathing people. 🙂
beth says
One other thought (I hope my earlier comments posted, darn, I’ll be disappointed if they didn’t) – regarding writing letters versus texting, emailing, or chatting with someone – I love letters, I think they are beautiful and rich and permanent, and that they allow the writer time to ponder and the reader time to savor, but I would say the other forms of communication are more human, more like regular human communication. There is more immediate interaction between two people than there is with the monologue that is a letter. It is more like being with a person, in person. And believe nme, I have experience with letters! I had pen friends from all over the world when I was in high school and my honey was in the first Iraq war, so we communicated by letter for over a year. What I wouldn’t have given to have immediate contact with him! I am 37, so I’m no spring chicken when it comes to being a “native” on technology, but I sure do reap the benefits of it.
Judith says
I joined Facebook when my cousin started using it to post pictures. I still primarily use it to see my cousin’s and my niece’s pictures – it is a great way to see their kids growing up since I don’t see them in person that often. I have been friended by a lot of people who use Facebook much more regularly than I do – but I just ignore the games, etc.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Judith, it sounds like you are getting a lot of use out of your Facebook account. What a nice way to be able to watch as your loved ones grow up.
Sandra says
I’m not sure if this is the place to ask a question but here goes! Many years back, I read a book about the the son (a teenager or beginning of college)of a very proper minister/reverend that was always getting into situations. It was a very entertaining book as his mother was dead and his father was very kind but remote so the son was without advice and trying to ‘fix’ things on his own. Does this sound like a book you might be familiar with? Thank You