On Updating or Not Updating My Facebook Status (or any other social media)
January 31, 2014
Just now, i got a text from my friend asking me to check her newly updated status and asked me whether or not it was (in some ways) cruel. I don't answer her right away, instead, I tell her my opinion on facebook status. And as I am a fan of reasons being numbered (like, 10 reasons why we should have breakfast in the morning) I make a little list on why I don't update my facebook status with any mindblowing thought (fyi, my facebook timeline is mostly lee junsu and lee junsu). To be clear, my definition of mindblowing thought is anything related to my belief and where I stand on something. Things that have reasons, and a conclusion of seeing things and learning while living. So here's the list:
1. Facebook status is public by default
By that I mean that we don't choose what to see or what not to show (except you are okay to trouble yourself to change your privacy setting or mute some annoying people as the feature is currently available). But I think I am also 'kepo' by default so I don't really use the feature and enjoying people's life story via facebook. That makes me aware that I don't really want people to know about my life in detail and this is the very basic reason of why I don't update my facebook status at all.
2. Facebook status is real time and in my opinion, it's supposed to be short
Eventhough facebook status is supposed to be an answer to the question 'what's on your mind?', and in that manner I can be as elaborate as possible, most people only tell how he was at that time (like, how annoying a person who snore beside me on my flight to HK! and not what kind of person the snoring person is, why do I have to go to HK, or with whom I went to HK) and it bring us to the third reason that
3. I can't elaborate things to everyone via facebook status
And the facebook status can not reveal my thinking process and my knowledge as a whole and some people, while just being naturally curious or honestly caring, needs explanation.
4. Because people, and that include myself, tends to make conclusion
For me, the point is, how do I arrive to that conclusion. Do I read and concluding real time and keep it for myself? Do I read and think and observe then concluding? Or do I read, concluding real time, listening to someone having the same conclusion, and end up labeling the person whose status I read?
5. And from the fourth point, I came to a conclusion (see I've been through four parts here, just saying) that facebook status is a place where misunderstanding is inevitable.
I know one case when a renown ustadz make a series of tweet about how useless is having girl/boyfriend and my friend, who happens to follow the account and currently having boyfriend said that the ustadz is exaggerating and she doesn't do things to that extent with her boyfriend. In my point of view, the whole thing about having girl/boyfriend is not as simple as whether it's allowed or not, it is a matter of what do you believe and what do you understand from your belief. The ustadz may have elaborate it on the former tweet on why it's not supposed to be done based on his belief but my friend might be too lazy to stalk the timeline. Maybe the ustadz was using some confusing words that it is a bother even just to read or maybe my friend was involved in some conversation where people said that they don't agree to the tweets. Anything can happen when we can't explain ourselves, and mostly it's misunderstanding.
6. It's true that I don't have to explain myself, but when I need to be heard, when I am about to transfer my knowledge, then people need to know it as a whole, not as parts.
And it's only fair that way. To myself, and to people who read.
7. At the end, I think the question has change from whether to update or not to update my facebook status with such a sensitive statement, to whether it is the right platform to do such things.
After reviewing the six number above, I answer myself that it might not be the rightest platform for me (note that all of my reason is completely subjective, not generally applicable, but definitely one of a million way of answering the question on update or not updating your facebook status) because I have a need to make people understand about me and my mind. That way, it is easier to be heard.
So, that was my list, and as personal as it may seem, I hope my list gives the reader some different light about myself. Go and make your own set of reasons! See you!
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