Fakebook

   Social media is becoming one of the preferred means of communication for many people. Certain sites have the ability to help find where your friends are, send out invitations to events and notify you when birthdays are coming up to name a few things. You can look at pictures and sign petitions. It's a good tool for staying in touch especially with those far away or for large groups.
  A few month ago I started to contemplate the downside of social media particularly Facebook. A few months ago I unfriended Annie. It was not an easy decision. The only time I've ever seen anyone unfriend another is when one person is angry with someone else. To me it seems so junior high, "I'm not your friend anymore." I worried about what Annie might think. However, I felt like I had a very good reason.
  Her posts were beginning to be a bit hard for me to read. Several of them were pictures of her new bikes, her new car and her new business. There were posts about cruises that she and her family would take, usually to some warm destination in the winter as she homeschools her children. There would be pictures of new manicures and nights out at the movies. I was starting to feel a little jealous and maybe just a touch of envy. I didn't' like the kinds of thoughts I was having, so for my own well being, I unfriended her.
  For awhile I pondered why I felt the way I did. I certainly didn't want her material goods. I have enough of that. I also didn't really envy her cruises and other trips. I'm more of a homebody. It finally occurred to me that what was bothering me is that she is perfect. She's blonde, athletic and has a whole bunch of friends. She the kind of person who can go on a 30 mile bike ride, come home and breeze through an extreme workout. Then she takes a shower and cooks an excellent dinner for her family who eat it without making a mess or complaining that they don't like it. She can play video games with her teens and beat them. She is hands down the coolest, most put together most awesome person on the planet.  Her husband owns several successful businesses, is genius smart and handsome. Her children are also perfect. The are cute, athletic , smart, well behaved and musically talented.
  Seeing yet another example of her perfect, wonderful, flawless life was making me feel bad about my own and about me in general. Short, stout, bookish people like me aren't much compared to amazing people like Annie. It turns out that I'm not alone in the problem. I have found several articles online about Facebook induced depression and jealousy.
  It does make sense after all. You want to put your best foot forward in a public forum. Yes, there people who post about the bad things in life, deaths, accidents, illnesses especially if there is a Go Fund Me account to contribute to. For the most part though you don't see the everyday little bad things that can happen. As far as I know Annie has never broken a nail, got yelled at by a customer or had a child who melted down in public. She's never been impatient or unkind. Everyone who knows her greatly admires her.
   My stepdaughter, Denise calls Facebook "Fakebook". She feels that most people put up a fake front. They have Facebook friends who are people they have never met in real life and probably wouldn't hang out with if they did. She has no time for posting trivial things and "liking" other people's trivial posts. She has a point.
  I wonder what opinion Annie has of me. If she's looked at any of my Facebook posts, I'm guessing she probably thinks I'm nerdy and bookish. I like cats, knitting and wearing silly hats to church. I'm not fashionable, not athletic and not interesting to her. (Mind you I'm just guessing about this, I don't really know.)
  Although we know each other in real life, it's unlikely that we will ever get better acquainted. I'm already certain that we have nothing in common. There is no need to try to get better acquainted. We are both happy in our own little circles.
  It is a shame though. Many of the challenges we face in society today are because we don't take time to get better acquainted with those who are different from us. It could be that Annie and I could have more common that we know.
   It's unlikely that either of us will ever find out.