Social Media, Can we really be friends?

Facebook and social media

As the world spins faster and faster, many of us find ourselves looking at social media with trepidation.  We tend to approach it like a small toddler getting near a wading pool for the first time afraid to get our feet wet.  Stories of our accounts being copied or hacked and strangers reaching out to friend us make us worry about what might be floating in the waters.  Many of my peers are avoiding the waters
completely and others seem to swim like deep diving fish, surfing with careless abandon.  One artist I know creates amazing promotional videos and has become a practical social media sensation.

We send out facebook friend requests wondering if they will accept us and thinking that it is an amazing cyber relationship.  I have facebook friends locally that I have stood in line next to and they don’t recognize me from their feed.  It seems so sterile and practically anonymous until, Denver CO a man walked into my booth.  He was another exhibitor and he sought me out because we were facebook friends.

Is this the beginning of a horror story, romance, or an anecdote? Well, since I am already married; it wasn’t a romance.  Nothing scary happened so it isn’t a horror story.  Eric walked up to me and introduced himself.  It seems strange to be friends in a cyber world and needing an introduction, but it was a lovely interaction.  We couldn’t visit as much as we would like, it was a commercial event, and we were both busy. It was nice to meet him face to face and I was touched that he took the time to come find me.  He had help in his display so he could sneak away (unlike me) and now, I look on his posts and I can smile.

It reminded me that we are interacting with people, in the cyber universe I mean.  When we get into arguments, treat each other badly; it is affecting other peoples’ day.  Today I am going to make a commitment to treat people in the cyber universe the way I do to those face to face.  I want to foster a richer friendship with those I may run across in my travels.  To those in line with me, look up and say hi.  I’m just standing there smiling like an idiot because I know you.  I’d like to get to know you better.