I stopped using my personal Facebook accounts at the end of 2015, and quit using my public profile page a few years ago (2013). I have never used Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+ or Twitter. However, I do post on this blog and my Wordpress from time to time. I am private and somewhat shy, and prefer to stay in touch with friends using the phone. I also do not care to partake in popularity contests, nor feel the need to maintain and manage several profile pages to prove to the public that I'm a real person. My writings already do that for me. Now, if you are interested in seeing photos of me, I'm not a photo person. The few photos you can find of me online were taken over the course of a couple decades, not days. The truth is, I would rather people focus on my mind than on my face.
Social media platforms falsely give us the perception that we are staying connected with friends by sharing photos of what we had for lunch and dinner, but in reality it's all an illusion. Adding a few college friends and exchanging a couple of messages back and forth with them may seem like we're staying current with each other, but in fact we are really disconnecting. Picking up the phone and setting a date to meet face-to-face is more meaningful and synergistic than hiding behind a computer. I want to see their eyes and reactions -- not smiley faces and text art.
The whole selfie obsession really scares me. It's sad that many former friends, and the majority of today's youth, think that snapping pictures of themselves in bikinis or the latest eyeshadow colors is way more interesting than sharing life lessons, worldly concerns, good deeds, monumental experiences, or deep reflections from their hearts. That's the kind of stuff I'd like to see and read from people. Yet sadly, we are being conditioned to have shorter and shorter attention spans. We want to be quickly stimulated by a photo of a dog wearing ice skates rather than having to read something beyond four lines. We want to use Facebook to escape the drudgery and monotony of the real world, and hang loose in the company of people that are not guaranteed to see the most important posting you may impulsively make one day -- about losing your job, battle against cancer or mother. This is why I prefer picking up the phone to hear the voices of the people I love. To hear about their happiness and health, bad fortune and worries. I am for empathy, not apathy. I want to be part of their lives, not just another friend who used to be a close friend on their FRIENDS list.
And lastly, what we are seeing happening online is a heavy push for the immaterial and superficial, and a rapid decline in true substance and meaningful content. As you may have observed from my online history, I am not a conventional person, nor an active member of the rat race. I was voted the biggest nonconformist of my high school for a reason. I do not follow the herd in anything, and instead like to pave my own path even if it's the longest route. So, if you do wish to keep up with me, you can observe my personal evolution through my blogs. And if you ever need to contact me, do use my email address. I am still very approachable and love to help people any way I can.
Suzy Kassem
