Facebook Meme Saturation
As I scroll through Facebook I am bombarded by the memes of religious and political platitudes, sarcastic snipe, and banal expressions of rebelliousness. Some border on the offensive, some cross that border and sit smack in the middle of it. Others range from the mildly amusing to the downright hilarious (usually because they strike a chord of ironic truth).
Many of these posts I enjoy, some I share. But it is the sheer number of them that has begun to drive me crazy. I have reached the point of Facebook meme saturation.
I joined Facebook to connect with my friends. I wanted to see what they’re up to and what they feel the need to share. I wanted to pray for their hurts and wants and needs, to celebrate their victories, to praise them for their talents, and to listen and learn from the wisdom they had to share.
Since I live and work alone much of the time, I hoped that Facebook would be a lifeline into my community, a lifeline I could hold onto when I felt the need to connect. Some days I need that connection more than others, and on those days I tend to find myself posting more thoughts, proclaiming more deeds, and sharing more memes. Because I share more when I feel needy, I understand when others do the same.
And don’t get me wrong, it isn’t a hardship for me or a cross that I must bear in the name of friendship to listen to and respond to your needs. It is a celebration of our friendship. It is a joy to hold some of your cares in my own hands, to hold you up to the light and tell you “Yes! You are clever (or funny, or creative, or pretty, or kind).” To know what it is that bothers you or brings you joy or breaks your heart or makes your heart sing — that is all part of the connection of friendship and the very reason why I point my Facebook app in your direction and read, comment, and share.
But the memes? The constant streams of snark, political bashing, and religious sap? That’s not real connection.
One year during the Lenten season I went on a news blackout. I didn’t watch or listen to any local or national news whatsoever. As I was telling a friend what I was doing (or NOT doing), she asked me, “Then how in the world will you know what’s going on??” I answered her with a laugh, “Hey, if it’s THAT important, I’ll read about it on Facebook.” And I was joking … sorta … not really.
And now, with running stream of meme after meme, I’m as likely to miss the news of a friend with a broken hand who is (deservedly) looking for prayers and sympathy (which happened yesterday) as I am to miss the news of a tsunami in Japan.
I realize that what I have just said here may make some of you very unhappy, as unhappy as people have been with the post on Candy Crush and FarmVille. I’m willing to take that risk.
No, I won’t “unfriend” you if you flood Facebook with memes. Yes, (confession) I have unfriended someone who flooded Facebook with memes — but that person wasn’t really a friend, she was someone who had added me to her friends list probably through an attempt to inflate her own friend numbers and not through any real wish to connect with me as a person — who also happened to flood the Facebook wall with memes.
I am concerned that the sharing of memes has become a habit, and not a true need to share and connect.
If you think something is funny and you think someone else might need that same giggle, share away!! But if you think that we all need to know everything you think is cute, funny, thoughtful, or horrifying? Think again.
If you feel the need to connect through Facebook conversation, do it!! Share your needs, your joys, your sadness and your victories. We’re here for you and that’s what friends are for.
It’s just my opinion, take it or leave it. Please don’t be mad at me for it. I am not saying this from a lofty height, looking down upon the Facebook sinners. I am saying this as one standing in the crowd, as one that is part of (what I see to be) the problem.
Peace be unto you. ♥km
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The Sisters of St. Gregory
Occasionally I think about dropping FB altogether but I keep track of my grandchildren on it, and a few others (including you), so I stay. I hide most of the feeds of people I know because, as another friend put it, they are “not life-giving.” To say the least!
Oh I am totally a meme offender (hand way up in the air). It’s lazy & easy. BUT since I’ve been trying to limit my facebooking to about an hour on weeknights I get annoyed with all the memes too – they waste my time when I want to check in with people. I’m going to see if there’s a way to limit what I’m getting from friends to actual status updates. If there is I’m sure I’d have to do it person by person & won’t that be fun!
And I’ll try to limit my own meme sharing. Darn it.
I’m going to take a deep breath, then plunge in. Ready?
There are some memes that are totally worthy of being shared, and I am grateful for the ones that make me laugh, touch my heart, or inform me. Soooo many are simply a waste of space, and I wonder why certain individuals insist on clogging the feed. Enough already! I have one friend who, when she gets to work early in the morning loads up her feed with notices of celebrity birthdays (complete with pictures!),–she’s a DJ, so she sees his as an extension of her job– cheerful “posters” of feel-good quotes, and multiple thoughts for the day. Gag! I’m getting ready to move her to a different category of friend, or something, because it is endlessly annoying. No need to elaborate, you understand the dilemma.
I wish there was a way to have parallel feeds: friends on one side, pages on the other.
Like you, I spend a lot of time alone, so fb is an important place of connection for me. I find that I post less and less, though (at least on personal stuff), because it is hurtful to feel so overlooked by my “friends” on such a regular basis. I use the blog for personal sharing. It feels more intimate, and though very few people comment, the experience there is that connection has taken place. I think isolation sharpens our awareness of the meaning of connection, and for those of us who have limited IRL interaction, this is a touchstone.
Time for me to shut up. There is lots to say about this, and the subject touches on my own particular situation and needs, and this isn’t the place for all that.
Do you mind if I keep sharing dog pictures? That seems to be what moves me most.
I feel I could have written this exact piece Kim. Matter of fact, I’ve been contemplating it this week, and like you, find I am less drawn to Fb due to the number of inane things that keep popping up, and indeed, hiding posts by friends I never even saw that deserved my attention. I’ll share humorous things occasionally, but I’d much rather use it to feel a connection to people’s lives. There are many people I feel affection for (one is a cousin and and another my brother in law!), but I’m always then stunned when they post horrible political memes or confirm their avid support for things that are exclusionary or hateful.
When I finally made the decision to join Fb, long after many blog friends had left blogging for it, I knew I had to do it on my own terms. I set my privacy settings so that I only get email notification of friend requests or when someone posts on my status. That’s it. That’s all I get. And, I don’t play ANY games, and have very few apps that I “like.” I don’t do chat (have it disabled) and don’t participate in ANY “if you are ____, you’ll post this status for a hour” shit or “If you love your ___ or feel sorry for ____ you’ll post this” drivel. Some friends I’ve resorted to making acquaintances so that I don’t see all the constant memes they post. I wonder what on earth they do all day that gives them time to post every hour? And, it annoys the hell out of me that Fb seems to determine what I see or don’t.
All this to say that I wonder if the immediacy of the contact has made it impossible to connect on a deeper level. It’s like soundbites on CNN vs watching a 20 minute segment on 60 Minutes. Maybe it’s just time for me to take a break or at least see if I can find a way back to blogging and do it in a way that feeds my real need for connection with people.