A Long Overdue Goodbye
Original Publication 17/02/21
Once upon a time, Facebook presented a grand sentiment of opportunity wherein we could connect with a host of people all around the globe. The possibilities for connection seemed endless, they endorsed the concept of bridging the gaps that existed from one person to another. In short, Facebook was supposed to bring us all closer, but, in so many ways, it's pulled us further apart.
I jumped on the social media train over a decade ago now. At the time, it seemed like the choice thing to do. All my friends were doing it and, at that young age, we seem to cling to anything that grants us correspondence because god forbid we celebrate a sense of distinction. It's only as we get older and seek to define ourselves as an individual that the irony of that ill-conceived notion truly sinks in. At least, it does for this humble writer.
I ask myself "what's the use of Facebook anymore?" Arguably, that line of questioning is reason enough to negate its free-flowing status in my life. I've always been one to question things (such is the nature of my chosen profession) and it's only in perhaps the last few years that I've viewed social media as harbouring the potential for far more harm than good.
Simply put, I don't see the same attraction that I once did. As I get older, I crave privacy in a world that seems to be very quickly moving in an almost polar opposite direction. I've become very selective with who I choose to spend my time with, and I find the general notion that anyone anywhere, at any time, can find me via a simple search result to be, frankly, nauseous. Anyone familiar with The Social Network (David Fincher 2010) will have seen the sociopathic tendencies of Facebooks creator Mark Zuckerberg.
Facebook, unfortunately, seems to have largely developed into a means for endangering that sense of privacy. Once you post anything, it effectively becomes their property, and, as a platform, it's shifted into a means for force-feeding opinions on one another. There are sly and fairly frequent endorsements of propaganda and tailor-made news stories, while we're now aware of the pivotal role it’s played in worldly events, such as Brexit and the inauguration of the Trump Administration. Worryingly, it continues to surge to new heights of dominance every day.
Have we manipulated the sanctity and privilege of free speech? To such a degree that anonymity now seems a two-edged sword? Hate crime and online abuse now seem part and parcel of a platform that was once hailed as a means of setting us free from social shackles. Such a change in intention is deeply saddening, and it's causing many in my generation and older to turn away. Doctors and other specialists now argue we abstain from social media from time to time, for the benefits of our mental health.
In truth, I'm a hypocrite for engaging in the use of Instagram (now widely known as a sister company of Facebook), but I would also argue it serves a purpose in my life. I use it to expand my business and communicate with my audience. I'm able to indulge my creative tendencies and tailor my content so that I only have to be witness to what I choose to, and I consider myself aware enough to turn a blind eye to the rest.
Maybe I'm a fool for considering myself different, only time will tell. On a closing note, curious reader, I would like to affirm (mostly for my own peace of mind) that all of the thoughts presented in this piece are my musings and mine alone. This piece has held a slightly more direct sense of tone and urgency than my usual content, but Musings of the Everyman will always be devoid of agenda. There is no wish to sway or influence, only to vent and provide incite. Thank you for reading.