The Lives of 400 Friends

The Mrs. says that I'm addicted to Facebook. Of course an addict doesn't agree that he/she is addicted to anything, but that's another topic for another blog. The point is: I'm on Facebook a lot. I recently hit the 400 friend mark (and failed to get any of the 400 to send me $10 a piece). I have people dating back to elementary school that I've reconnected with over the last year and a half.

So, Facebook allows me into the lives of 400 friends, co-workers and family from ages 13 to 53. And let me tell you, it's very interesting the things I read!

There are many types of people on Facebook and I'm not downing any of them. I just think they're just a microcosm of our society and represent a cyber version of the real world. FB, although not anonymous, is approached with a "chat room mentality". People think they can say/post whatever without consequences. (Of course those who have failed to gain or have lost employment due to their FB posts/updates may feel differently)

But the beauty of FB is that it's a catalyst. It's an electronic version of alcohol that empowers you to say the things you were always afraid to say when sober. Let's start:

The Praise God / F-Bomber
This is the person who will quote a very powerful Bible verse in the morning, but will drop f-bombs about his/her day at work in the evening. It's amazing how many people start their day off with serenity, but end it with chaos.

The FB Militant
This is the person with the conspiracy theories. The cynic that sees the world for what it truly is and wants to share his/her thoughts on it. They have experienced life with eyes wide open and consider themselves visionaries to a certain extent. They're not always right, but they think that they are for the most part. They absolutely have an opinion on everything and if you want to get them started, all you have to do is say: "hey, let me get your take on something..."

Most of you are laughing right now because you're thinking that I just described myself. LOL!

The 'Fakebook' Peacock
This is the person who is "hood rich" on FB. The person who takes a picture of their expensive material things in an attempt to make you think "I've made it". So many of these people will have photos of themselves in front of their Lexus SUV with $3500 rims. Or maybe in every photo they make sure the brand name of whatever expensive clothing item/accessory they're wearing is facing the camera. Most of these people stay with their mom, in a crummy apartment and/or have credit scores lower than the temperature.



The FB Patient
This is the person who puts all of their problems in their status updates as a cry for help. Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing depending on the advice being sought. If you're looking for opinions on a service (How's DirecTV?) or product, then it can be very beneficial. But, if you're looking for a life coach (Why can't I find love?) then you're going to probably get 10 bad answers to every good one. But it's something intriguing about a person willing to lay on a virtual leather couch in the doctor's office and have their world analyzed. This is normally where the best dialogue is found in the FB world.

The Just Got An iPhone FB'er
Photos, photos, photos! This is the person who stands in the mirror and poses with a cell photo in their hand. These are generally amongst the more popular FB friends to have because we all like photos.

The Like-Everything-That-Has-A-Funny-Title FB'er
How many times have you looked on The Wall and saw this from one of your friends: "Likes I'm the last person you want to ask for money and 32 other pages"? This person uses sayings and causes to define who they are. Not all of it is bad, but some of it is way over the top. Most of the time, this person is also the FB gamer who begs you to sell them a pig or something in Farmville.

So, there you go. Now you know why FB has become an addiction for me as The Mrs. states. There are so many interesting people in those types. I enjoy interacting with my 400 FB friends. I learn so much from peering into the cyber window of other people's lives. Some of what I learn fuels my drive to add more to my blog in an attempt to guide others.

We all have different personalities and regardless if I agree with many I encounter or not, I still have an appreciation for them all.