I was at work reading the Trib when I stumbled across an article about how a neurologist believes that our society's use of Facebook is "infantilizing" our brains...shortening our attention spans, lessening our power of empathy and, most importantly, giving our generation a "shaky sense of identity and reality."
Yes, yes, and YES.
It's true. I was just noticing that about myself. I look at Facebook too often. I'm too interested in everyone else's life. I'm also worried about how others view me. Who am I on Facebook? Who are you on Facebook?
I judge people based on their Facebook information.
But, I'd rather learn about people via Facebook rather than hang out with them in real life. Who has the time for real conversation?
I don't think Facebook's intention was to be an all-encompassing portal. I don't think Facebook was intended to be a window with the blinds wide open. I don't think Facebook was intended to be a glass against the wall. I don't think Facebook was intended to be Big Brother.
And I don't think I like my dependence on Facebook. It's alarming, now that I think about it. Mostly because I should be able to drop Facebook like a bad habit, but I couldn't really do that, could I?
I don't believe I could.
But I should. And I might.
PLUS, this revelation of epic proportion is on the coattail of a video I watched that dumbfounded me. It made me realize what an idiot I am, and that I'm merely one idiot in a nation full of idiots.
Watch more SpikedHumor videos on AOL Video
My patience levels, my expectations, my annoyances, my happiness, my comfort, my insecurities...are often created, nurtured, and maintained by our technology-driven world.
The simplicity of life, a slower pace, and a self-dependent lifestyle are gone, out the window. I say self-dependent rather than independent because they are two totally different words. I'm independent, but I'm not self-dependent at all.
I'm almost completely dependent upon technology to make me happy. I don't make myself happy. Technology does. Speed is everything (not the Jessie Spano kind). If something is slow, it's bad. If it's fast, it's good. Dial-up? Could you IMAGINE? No signal? Life is over. The power is out? Call 911, the sun won't be out for another 10 hours!
Life needs to slow down. I need to slow down. But that's a rather impossible notion, isn't it?
I fear it is.
And that's why I fear Facebook. Facebook is too much. It's simply too much. Facebook is our rolodex. Facebook is our telephone. Facebook is our stamp. Facebook is our window. Facebook is our friend. Facebook is our Big Brother. Facebook is our god. Because you know why? Facebook is fast, in an all-encompassing way too freaking fast. I can learn everything I never wanted to know about hundreds of friends in 5 minutes; 99.5% of it being information I didn't need to know in the first place. I can't recall what the Spanish word for spoon is but I can tell you what Person XYZ had for breakfast.
No wonder I have no memory, no desire for personal relationships, and no identity. It's all on Facebook, so why carry it around with me?
Facebook needs to go. It really does. I need to start living my own life.
My biggest fear is that I'll speed through life and not know it's close to being over. After all, I'll be too busy reading 25 random things about you to even notice it pass by. I didn't know you were lactose intolerant!?
I also didn't know my life was over. Whoops. Hey Jesus.
