Facebook in the Face of a Tragedy

I have to admit, maybe this shouldn't be what I'm focusing on in comparison to what has happened over the past 48 hours, but I can't shake the thought that Facebook is the worst possible invention in the immediate aftermath of losing a loved one.

Last night I found out that one of my classmates from high school passed away that morning, and in the 24 hours since, I've experienced disbelief, sadness, confusion, frustration, doubt, appreciation...and disgust. Yes, disgust. And I'm disgusted to say that I've experience disgust in the wake of such a tragedy. And Facebook has been the source of that disgust. Well, not Facebook itself, but what the platform allows people to do.

While there has been an outcry of support and love, thoughts and prayers to my friend's family and best friends, there has also been an awful lot of speculation and inappropriate responses flying around. I'm not even going to get into that. All I'll say is that it makes me livid that anyone would dare to probe for details or create a possible scenario that may not be true on such a social setting, where friends and family can see such remarks. And if any one of them has a smartphone, we all know that means an inevitable tether to social networks and notifications each and every time someone messages, comments, writes on their wall, etc. Death is a horrible thing. You don't need every detail the second you find out about it. Let the family grieve. You will know eventually what happened. Lay off the interrogation.

Okay. Rant over. Now for digging into Facebook's flaws. Somehow it just seems wrong in every possible sense that people would "Like" a post about a death or "Like" a best friend grieving. I know that on Facebook, "Liking" something isn't synonymous to actually liking it, as in enjoying it or caring for it, but a way to interact. I don't care. It seems so wrong. So, so wrong. Comment if you wish that you're there for them, or that you love them, or that you're praying for them or the family, but "Like" it? I can't.

Next. You may have figured out that you can make little digital hearts when you do this: < 3 Good for you. Is that really necessary? To me, slapping digital hearts all over your statuses or comments don't really show the love quite like a heartfelt statement. Simplicity is key here. Why? Because what more can you say than, "I'm thinking of you," or "My prayers are with..." in such a situation? But then again, maybe that's just me.

Third (and I think finally, although I reserve the right to hop back on and edit my statements as more social media nuances piss me off), don't use exclamation points. Just don't. Exclamation points, to me, denote excitement or surprise. Alright, sure, you got me. You were probably surprised when you heard. I was too. But reign your emotions in a little bit. Being surprised over getting a puppy as a gift is different than this sort of surprise. Be respectful. Be sincere. Exclamation points are not sincere. They're gaudy. If you feel the overwhelming need to exclaim something in this situation, use one. Judiciously. Don't use four. Please. It seems so, so, so wrong to see exclamation points and digital hearts all over these statuses.

Okay. I feel better now. I'm going to go back to praying now.