The Internet Filter

I miss the days of dial-up.  A lot.  Why?  Because could you imagine it taking 5 minutes to post a status?  But even before that, imagine how long Facebook would take to load on dial-up internet.  No one would have the time to put up complaints about life but maybe would only have time to tell the world the great day they've had.

I remember social networking was a new thing.  Sure there were people who just want to post their tits or dick as their profile picture on Myspace and you had to be invited to join Facebook way back when it first came out.

Social Networking, I feel is more beneficial to extroverts.  For the most part, extroverts don't have much of a filter towards people because they are more open.  They feel emotions outwardly.  For the introvert however, social networking is a disease.  They start to view the people on the other end of their friendslist as less human.  With 500 "friends" you've never tell half the stuff to, you post on Facebook anyways.  You take photos you would never show the public, but post on your wall.  You outwardly complain and tag the person whose guts you hate right now because that person doesn't seem as real online.

An introvert who posts statuses full of complaints and anger are crying out for help in a way they never usually do.

Earlier this year, I promised I would never post hateful, spiteful or anger statuses on my Facebook or Twitter.  My Facebook has turned into a profile of me sharing my love for the work others do, for art and for good Youtube videos.  My Twitter has been used to communicate with the art community for which most my followers belong.  As an introvert, I can honestly say that I post things on Facebook and Twitter that I would vocalize in real life.  I post things on my blog that I would vocalize in real life.

I want to leave this message for both extroverts and introverts: Skim through your Facebook.  Go back to when you first got it.  See what you've posted, the interactions you've had.  Do you see statuses that don't reflect you?  Do you see older posts that you can't believe you really posted?  Take time to ponder what you've written.  Understand why you post what you post on your Facebook wall, on your friends' Timelines and what 140 characters can really say about a person.
The next time you go to post on Facebook.  Type it out, read it out loud.  Ask yourself, would I say this to a friend in public?  Would I say this to an acquaintance in public?  Would I want to stand at a podium in front of my 500 Facebook friends and announce it to them?
The reactions they would have happen.  So if you can't imagine the above, think about posting that status you just typed.

~Ame