Boo to Facebook (and the like)

I have a Facebook account. (I thought I'd start with full disclosure) I acknowledge that there are definite pluses to Facebook and MySpace. For example, I started my account because a good friend of mine from my time living in England got me to get on to keep up with what our other friends were doing. Plus, we can all share photos from the good old days and get in touch with others around the world. 

But sadly, it seems that the majority of people on these networking sites are using them to (1) collect friends, and (2) use them to socialize with people they see on a regular basis. I have 48 friends. I see a ton more people online that Facebook is kind enough to suggest I "friend", but they are not people I would call my friends outside of Facebook, so why bother putting them up like trophies on my account? For example, a great many people from my boss' lab are online. I could probably add 10 more people that way. But I'd feel awfully weird reaching out to the grad students who I get along well with but don't have much regular contact with, and saying "Hey, let's be Facebook friends". Also, I'm not going to be friends with all the people I went to high school with, whose names I remember and who I haven't talked to in (now just over!!) 10 years. And finally, I see no need to be Facebook friends with my parents, my parents-in-law, my siblings, and everyone else related to me who lives in the same town, even the same subdivision. I don't live a wild life and don't do things that I think are shameful, but I still feel stifled and monitored having my father-in-law as a Facebook friend. No offense to Steve, but it's weird. When those friend requests popped up I didn't know what to do. I like Steve, but I don't want to be his Facebook friend. However, he lives about 5 minutes away and I can't really ignore the request. So I am now his friend. Boo Facebook.

The last segment of my tirade against Facebook is in comments/wall posts. If you and your best friend(s) see each other all the time, stop filling up my home page with writing cryptic and inappropriate jokes to each other. Keep that offline, you're not cooler because you have lots of new messages from your BFF. On the contrary, it's sad and I'm close to un-friending those people who do so. 

And don't get me started on Twitter... bring back personal communication. Pick up the phone and call someone. Drop them a personal email even. Stop wasting your day on these sites.