Social Studies & Me

When I was in college social networking was fresh and blooming. I was part of an online community called MiGente.com where Latinos go to meet (even the non-Spanish speaking, 3rd generation American ones like me.) Within a week of membership I was connected to a double digit number of college guys spreading throughout the Northeast. There were notes, IMs and picture comments galore! Then I landed myself a boyfriend (not through the site) and MG became a thing of the past. Once I graduated I found out about this new site called MySpace and learned I could connect with the general public, reconnect with old friends and loop into a new addiction of profile updating.

I don't have to tell you what MySpace grew into since then, unless of course you've taken up residence at the North Pole and spend your days playing cards with Santa (oh no wait, he friend requested me last week - never mind.) Suddenly everyone's computer screen at work had MySpace plastered somewhere until the boss went by and a series of minimizing mouse clicks reigned throughout the office. The site became a place to display your personality to the world, unless of course your profile was set to private. And for those not interested in having people find them, you could easily list your full name as Seymour Butts without a moment's hesitation from the site. All was fine and dandy until Facebook came along.

At first you could only join if you had a college email address. Then you could join via your company email. Then Facebook said to hell with the MySpace competition and let everyone join but full names were more of a necessity. I joined because... I'm a drone and do anything everyone else does. Plus, you can't Facebook-stalk people unless you're a member.

I constantly received notices saying so-and-so wanted me to add an application that did things like rate how hot people thought I was. I would instantly reject, knowing damn well that these applications were just another ploy for God to remind me how not flattering my hips were becoming. It was all so complicated that I just stuck with accepting friends and writing on walls. If it were that difficult for me to comprehend, there would be no way anyone older than me would find there way around...right?

Wrong.

My cousin Danielle became new to Facebook while we were vacationing in the Outer Banks of North Carolina...
"Lauren, how do I add pics?"
"Danielle, pass me the suntan lotion."
"Lauren, seriously! How do I update my status?"
"You realize we're on a beach right?"
"Come on, this is fun! Everyone I know is on here!"
In the week that followed, Danielle came to believe she was the most popular girl this side of the Chesapeake Bay bridge tunnel... until she had friended everyone she knew, and then there were no new friend requests. Poor thing.

Her peek into the world of social networking prompted an invitation for my godmother/her mother to join Facebook as well. Which clearly left me aware of what would come next...

My mom joining Facebook.

First there was the email notification I received that screamed "Your mother wants to be your friend!" Once that was accepted, this is what was written on my wall:





Well Mom, first things first this:




means your bisexual so I suggest you change that to simply "Men", unless there is something you'd like to tell me (in which case I think I'm upset you chose to tell the Facebook world first.)
"But I'm only saying I'm interested in making both male and female friends."
"Umm, no. That's not what it means mom. Do you want my help or not?"

I expect that by this evening I'll be given her password to fix up her page, post some pics and make her look like the coolest mom on the planet (which of course she is.) And will have completed the social experiment I was never aware I was a part of; the experiment in which I see social networking close the age gap and cause me to fight my mom for the award for best Facebook profile.

Which is all good... as long as she doesn't join MySpace.