Uh Oh, You've Been Unfriended

 

1. Offensive Comments
2. Don’t know them well
3. Trying to sell me something
4. Depressing comments
5. Lack of interaction
6. Political comments
7. Breakup / divorce
8. Don’t like their friends
9. Update profile too often
10. They add too many people

According to a survey by nmincite.com, these are the top ten reasons people unfriend on Facebook. I recently realized that I had been unfriended, and I knew, due to the timing and comparison of our posts, that the unfriending was reason #6, political comments. This is not my first unfriending, and although I merely speculated about the other two, they also pointed to reason #6. I do keep track of my friends because the number is manageable, and my main reason for socializing on Facebook was to maintain contact with family and friends, which, according to the aforementioned study, is the objective of 89% of people on Facebook. Notice I said was? If anyone had told me ten years ago that I would be posting political commentary in a blog or engaging in conversations with activists via social media, I would have shrugged it off as highly unlikely. I have always been rebellious, but until recently, I have never been one to take a strong political stance.

This recent unfriending prompted me to ask myself, "Why am I using social media?" The answer came quickly and easily - because it is an accepted platform that enables me to express my opinion about all that is important to me in life. My list began with family and friends, but has grown to include writers, publishers, artists, advocates, activists, and yes, even radicals. And I love and/or admire each and every one of them for who they are and what they stand for. And who they are, and what they stand for, does not have to fit precisely into what I believe for I have always believed that the world would be a very boring place if we all thought exactly alike.

I'm not sorry that my liberal postings and bleeding heart comments have caused me to lose friends on Facebook, because that is who I am, and I prefer controversy to remaining silent. Bending to the beliefs of others or subscribing to rhetoric based on hasty generalizations are not my style. I'm passionate about bringing the truth to light and my writing will typically incorporate deductive reasoning, sometimes inductive reasoning, but it is never based on argumentum ad populum, i.e., "everyone knows that a true American would never be in favor of gun control."

Social media has more than its fair share of misrepresentation and fallacious data. Aside from blatant fabricated information, the fact remains that when we communicate this way, we open ourselves up to the perception of the individual reading the post or tweet. I am not offended by anyone who disagrees with me unless their viewpoint violates basic human rights and oversteps the boundaries of common decency. My hope is that my writing reflects who I am as a person, and that others will have a clear idea of what I believe in. They can choose to agree or disagree, respect me or not, even unfriend me if they wish. It does not matter as long as we have a forum where we can voice our opinions, express our concerns, and are given the right to choose our very own circle of friends. Wikipedia defines democracy as "a form of government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives." And that, is much more important than a difference of opinion.

 http://www.businessinsider.com/why-people-unfriend-on-facebook-2013-3#ixzz2PzaOC0Pq

The Power of Social Media

Protestors gather at Tahrir Square in Cairo ([EPA]

I don't like to delve too deeply into political issues because politics is not my strong suit and international politics are a conundrum, but I feel compelled to address the 18-day revolution in Egypt and the significance of social media in this movement.

President Obama touched on the global impact of Egypt's liberation in his February 11th speech - "There are very few moments in our lives where we have the privilege to witness history taking place." People around the world were able to experience this revolution on a personal level because of Twitter and Facebook. While the necessity for professional foreign correspondents must not be downplayed, average citizens were able to keep abreast of the revolution, moment by enthralling moment, with a tweet and a facebook check. Toward the end of his speech, President Obama declared, "This is the power of human dignity, and it can never be denied."

Yes, it certainly is the power of human dignity. It is also the power of social media. Egyptian activist Wael Ghonim stated,"This revolution started on Facebook", referring to the Facebook page We are all Khaled Said. The brutal torture and death of Khaled Said at the hands of Egyptian police added fuel to the already growing fire spread by Egyptian revolutionaries. Khaled's face became the symbol of a country desperate for change. Human Rights activists in Egypt have been protesting police brutality for years, but Facebook and Twitter gave them the opportunity to mainstream their protest and their cries of indignation were heard around the world. Uncensored videos were recorded by amateurs, downloaded on YouTube, and viewed my millions.

Would President Mubarak have stepped down if technology hadn't broadcast Egypt's desire for democracy? I think it is doubtful. Dictators rely on suppression and censorship to keep their regimes in place. After thirty years, the voice of Egypt was no longer silent and the entire world was listening. Their euphoric liberation is only the first step and the future of Egypt is uncertain at this point, but I will continue to watch and listen with the assistance of social media.