Status Updates
We live in a world where we don’t know how to communicate with others anymore. We would rather communicate with a machine.
Yes, that was what I have always believed and recent incidents have only confirmed my hypothesis. Mankind has lost the means to communicate effectively with others.
So we communicate all our thoughts, feelings and comments into the machine called a computer. And perhaps the most common internet platform used is Facebook.
From Facebook, I have gleaned a whole new world of information about my friends, colleagues and acquaintances. By browsing through each person’s collection of pictures, comments, added applications etc, you know what state of mind he/she is in. More importantly, it offers a key to understanding their inner world.
I found out about my friends’ marriages, divorces and latest updates this way. So A is now in a relationship with someone else. I thought he was happily married the last time we met up. B has finally seen the fruits of his effort by winning the heart of the girl he has been chasing for so long. C is undecided about divorce and is giving the marriage a second chance by going on a second honeymoon. D is now married and goodness, it’s been 2 years already. I wasn’t invited to the wedding that’s why. E has relocated out of Singapore. F just came back from a shopping trip in Bangkok and is showcasing her wares. G is getting married and is feeling the jittery. The list goes on…
How many of us would really bother to call up our best buddy or friend and say “I’m divorced” ? You think it’s cool? Well, in all honesty, I think it’s very difficult and embarrassing at the same time. Who would want to admit one’s marriage had broken down? Is this cause for massive celebration – first the emancipation and then the restoration of singlehood?
Similarly, how many of us would sms our entire contact list in the handphone proclaiming that a certain Miss had accepted him and they are now in a relationship? The hefty sms bills aside, I think this is sheer madness. You don’t need to publicise your status in this way. I certainly wouldn’t.
It is easier to update in Facebook and let the world, including the friend(s) find out for themselves if they bother to look. This is the language of the new world – where the impact of the web and print reigns supreme.
