communication in the social media age
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:19 am
Okay, first off, I really am curious about other people's opinions here, especially if it is different than mine. I know there are people who see this differently than I do, but don't understand the reasoning.
Anyway, the situation that got me thinking: My mother was talking to my Uncle yesterday, and he mentioned seeing her this coming weekend. She had no idea what he was talking about. Apparently they are throwing a graduation party for his grandson, and they made an event page on FB for it. They just assumed everyone who they wanted to be there would notice it. My mom, who might visit FB once a month, obviously missed this "invitation". Now my uncle is mad because she isn't coming , and not understanding why she wouldn't have know about it when it was out there for all the world to see.
I've ran into similar situations with friends after I left FB a few years back. It suddenly became a real hassle for them to have to invite me outside of the mass event page invite. You know, because texting, emailing, picking up a phone, or remembering to tell me in person was such hard work. So for awhile they would complain, and then they just stopped inviting me all together. I was recently told I was like an old lady because I didn't try to communicate on FB like everyone else.
On one hand, yes, it is a bummer to miss out on things (and I do kind of grieve what was the loss of a slowly decaying friendship), but my opinion is that if you really want a person at your event, then you make certain that they know about it. If such and such a person is really that important to you, then you take the time to interact with them outside of FB.
Sometimes I wonder if the guilt lays on people like me, though. Maybe people with my mindset don't try hard enough to connect with people because we don't assimilate what is considered normal communication nowadays. I don't feel I'm a technophobe or anything. Should people like me and my mother just force ourselves to "connect" to people by places like FB, or is it truthfully not worth worrying over people and events you miss when the people in question don't want to take anything outside of the "easy" route?
Truthfully, which way do you go? Opinions on any of this or related topics? If you are someone who loves communication by social media sites, do you also go out of your way to let people who don't bother with them know what is going on?
Anyway, the situation that got me thinking: My mother was talking to my Uncle yesterday, and he mentioned seeing her this coming weekend. She had no idea what he was talking about. Apparently they are throwing a graduation party for his grandson, and they made an event page on FB for it. They just assumed everyone who they wanted to be there would notice it. My mom, who might visit FB once a month, obviously missed this "invitation". Now my uncle is mad because she isn't coming , and not understanding why she wouldn't have know about it when it was out there for all the world to see.
I've ran into similar situations with friends after I left FB a few years back. It suddenly became a real hassle for them to have to invite me outside of the mass event page invite. You know, because texting, emailing, picking up a phone, or remembering to tell me in person was such hard work. So for awhile they would complain, and then they just stopped inviting me all together. I was recently told I was like an old lady because I didn't try to communicate on FB like everyone else.
On one hand, yes, it is a bummer to miss out on things (and I do kind of grieve what was the loss of a slowly decaying friendship), but my opinion is that if you really want a person at your event, then you make certain that they know about it. If such and such a person is really that important to you, then you take the time to interact with them outside of FB.
Sometimes I wonder if the guilt lays on people like me, though. Maybe people with my mindset don't try hard enough to connect with people because we don't assimilate what is considered normal communication nowadays. I don't feel I'm a technophobe or anything. Should people like me and my mother just force ourselves to "connect" to people by places like FB, or is it truthfully not worth worrying over people and events you miss when the people in question don't want to take anything outside of the "easy" route?
Truthfully, which way do you go? Opinions on any of this or related topics? If you are someone who loves communication by social media sites, do you also go out of your way to let people who don't bother with them know what is going on?