The Facebook Conundrum

I just got into Facebook over the past couple of months. At first it looked like just a glammed up Myspace (minus the pedophiles). But then I realized that a ton more of my former friends were on Facebook. So, for those first couple of months I went crazy adding friends and tagging photos. It was nice catching up with people and seeing everyone's babies. It was also nice to watch along with Facebook during the election season. Some of my favorite status comments popped up during debates.

However, I think I came down with some kind of disease that stemmed from Facebook. It's like nostalgia causing amnesia. I hereby coin "Nostesia" as the term to describe this situation. Amidst all the catching up, I forgot that there might have been a very valid reason why certain people fell off my radar. Particularly, a very toxic former friend from college. Basically the only reason why we were friends was that we liked to read and both worked in the city after college. Beyond that, we got on each others nerves like poison oak. After the initial first contact, I noticed the same old victim mentality in her Facebook comments. Then she kept posting a bunch of Right Wing propaganda as news articles. I could ignore them of course but the vitriol and frequency amped up after the inauguration.

The tipping point came last night. Apparently, Ben Stein pulled out as being UVM's commencement speaker due to controversy over his views on evolution. Of course, Right Winger victim friend used the opportunity to bash academia. No, you do not do that if I call you friend, even lame Facebook "friend". Both my parents are professors and I see first-hand how hard they work. Plus, I have been to college and appreciate what I learned and the people who taught me. That white tower of academia argument doesn't hold water with me. Plus, defending Ben Stein? Seriously? The same Ben Stein who links Nazism to evolutionary theory and the Nixon dittohead. I knew I had to do something since I was still fuming while I did the dishes last night. Click - unfriend.