Facebook "Friends"
In those boring days just before AC was born (waiting and waiting, with too many false labor epiosdes to go anywhere, and too much belly to do anything), I got hooked on Facebook. Mainly, it has been fun to keep in touch with people I already know--it's an easy way to hear what's up with friends from college and grad school, and to see pictures of my new little nephew, for example.
I'm somewhat incognito to people from the distant past because I've only used my married name, and I wasn't looking for a networking angle, so I don't feel obligated to accept friend requests from people whose motives I suspect, such as a friend's ex-girlfriend whom I only met once, years ago and awkwardly, who requested friend status but blocked me from seeing her own information. Real life has enough social obligations, so I'm willing to let myself be more brutally realistic on Facebook: I was never going to be friends with her.
The sole exception is students. As a rule, I accept friend requests from students, but block them from seeing my status updates. I figure there is no need for them to know that it is Party of Five reruns that are keeping me from answering their emails at 11 pm on Wednesday night when they've skipped my office hours and the essay's due.
Many students, however, have no similar compunctions about their own Internet privacy, and I now know far more than I meant to know about one of my first-year students, a dear fellow whose recent status updates have told me:
Saturday afternoon: P is listed as in a relationship.
Sunday morning: P had a glorious night/evening.
Monday morning: P is listed as single.
Monday afternoon: P is going through some things and needs some time.
Monday evening: P is listed as in a relationship and it's complicated.
Wednesday morning: P went from "it's complicated" to "single."
Poor guy!
I'm somewhat incognito to people from the distant past because I've only used my married name, and I wasn't looking for a networking angle, so I don't feel obligated to accept friend requests from people whose motives I suspect, such as a friend's ex-girlfriend whom I only met once, years ago and awkwardly, who requested friend status but blocked me from seeing her own information. Real life has enough social obligations, so I'm willing to let myself be more brutally realistic on Facebook: I was never going to be friends with her.
The sole exception is students. As a rule, I accept friend requests from students, but block them from seeing my status updates. I figure there is no need for them to know that it is Party of Five reruns that are keeping me from answering their emails at 11 pm on Wednesday night when they've skipped my office hours and the essay's due.
Many students, however, have no similar compunctions about their own Internet privacy, and I now know far more than I meant to know about one of my first-year students, a dear fellow whose recent status updates have told me:
Saturday afternoon: P is listed as in a relationship.
Sunday morning: P had a glorious night/evening.
Monday morning: P is listed as single.
Monday afternoon: P is going through some things and needs some time.
Monday evening: P is listed as in a relationship and it's complicated.
Wednesday morning: P went from "it's complicated" to "single."
Poor guy!
posted by Tara | 10:16 AM
1 Comments:
Good heavens.
Amusingly, as I read this entry, I overheard a coworker loudly talking on the phone about her new Facebook friends. Last week, she was mocking Facebook and bemoaning the fact that she had to use it for some college assignment. And now she's all into it.
HA! There is no escape ...
Also ... Party of 5, eh? :)
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