You, Me, and Our Comments on Facebook

In 2016, there are two sides to every self. There is the present, physical you and then there is the remote, digital you. Theoretically, both “yous” should be a reflection of the original; your digital self should just be your carbon copy but on the screen of a phone. However, as most of us know, this tends to not be the case. Our digital selves are typically used in two ways. One of which being that we tend to falsely advertise ourselves. For example, every morning I make a smoothie with my Nutribullet and drink it straight from the blending cup. However, having made an Instagram all of three weeks ago (I’m a late bloomer), for aesthetically pleasing photographic purposes, I transferred my smoothie to a modish glass jar. Now this alone is a rather innocent ploy in distracting from my reality versus Instagram reality. However, the other way our digital self is presented is ironically through our honesty. All of a sudden, behind the protection of our computer screen, we cast the opinionated comments many of us would be fearful to express in person. And perhaps, as of a week ago today, some of us are wishing for more lying smoothies in jars than bravery on Facebook.

For roughly the last year and a half Facebook has been a cathartic soapbox for peoples’ emotions and opinions. The difference between reality and Facebook is this: If we were out shopping at Homegoods with a friend, we would politely avoid election discussions in fear of tension. But, at the same time, we would have no problem expressing those views on our Facebook while they stand right next to us in checkout at said Homegoods. For whatever reasons, we are either more brave or more scared to articulate ourselves in person and thus retreat to our status updates. Now we know that our friends, with or without opposing views, will see these updates and yet it doesn’t stop us.

For many, the past week has been an explosion of either celebratory or resistant Facebook posting. Facebook in 2016’s election elicited “5.3 billion posts, likes, comments and shares, with nearly 110 million Americans participating in the online debate between January and October”. While most people make posts as general, blanketed statements, it is hard for some not to take them personal which has led to unfriending.

This got me to thinking, was “unfriend” even a word before the digital age? Or is that something we made up and capitalized on during the rise of social media? Is it as permanent and absolute as it sounds? Or is it just an excuse to have to meetup and get some resolution ice cream? But seriously, does unfriending digitally unfriend them physically as well? In this election year, researchers believe that “two out of three voters believed that this year's presidential race brought out the worst in people. Seven percent of voters admitted to losing

friends as a result”. Facebook doesn’t offer statistical data on unfriending, these numbers are only from those who admitted to it in a polling.

Maybe unfriending has just become another tool to voice our opinions, albeit a sad one. I believe that Facebook can serve as no accomplice to the demise of friendships. Facebook can, however, much like this election, serve as an illuminating marriage between our true physical self and our true digital self and uniting the two can unmask a lot. After all, our Facebook comments are us speaking and some people may prefer if we just speak more about that pouty monkey video going viral…