The secrets and hidden treasures of Facebook

Ok, so I admit I am a people watcher. Maybe there’s something in my personality or perhaps formed by my environment or both, but I enjoy observing how people engage and interact with one another. I have always been interested in people and how their minds work so not sure how I ended up as a bean counter, but back to people watching. Facebook has given me yet another platform to do this. There have been studies on the effect of social media such as Facebook on social capital. Some have concluded that Facebook users that frequently post messages and/or pictures about themselves are narcissistic, others discuss the benefits that accrue to a person’s state of well-being almost as though it is directly proportional to the number of electronic friends they have. While I agree with elements of both conclusions and all else in between, I say enough already to all these studies – these academics they think they can use intellect to explain human behaviour? Let my Facebook users be- How else can people get everyone to know all the mundane details of their lives, or give everyone the opportunity to stalk them by letting all know where they’ve "checked" into? I have to admit I thought nothing of this “check in” phenomenon when I first saw it because I’m not that tech savvy so I assumed somehow Facebook knew this automatically (please do not laugh). I was miffed when I was enlightened that a person had to go through certain steps to take a few precious minutes of their time to click some buttons and give permission to the world to announce to the world their location at a point in time. Speaking of which how come no one’s ever checked into court, or work, or the grocery store, or the mechanic’s workshop? Never mind I was just thinking out loud. I guess the people I meet in these places are just not Facebook users or maybe they don’t live the life that I do. Watching people show their expensive cars and all aspects of luxurious living reminds me of my reality shows. Sometimes I really wisg facebook also had the icons "idc" (I don't care) or better yet "dgad" (don't give a damn) so I could click as many times as I've thought it. For the ones that don’t know I wear the unofficial runner up (only because I don’t have enough time) crown as the undisputed queen of watching reality shows. The reality shows just like many FB users only showcase what they want you to see and develop this story that they know is bound to be entertaining and yet is so far from reality. I am thoroughly entertained. I have found many treasures on Facebook; I experienced music and shared useful information with many, shared my blog, discovered new businesses, reconnected with old friends, seen pictures of friends and family that I am unable to meet up with often enough. So in 2013 I encourage all Facebook friends and users to keep up the great work and do whatever floats their boat on a river that’s full with water from washing only very clean laundry in public, so I can remain entertained and yet again have another platform to people watch and escape into other people’s “realities”