it’s that time of year- schools over and gaggles of overpriveleged students or former students migrate to europe, to drink heavily, see some old stuff, and ‘find themselves’. well listen: just becuase I have a job, and can’t afford to do that right now, and would prefer to do it with my own money and not mommies, doesn’t make me less urban, less cool, or less intelligent than you! and btw the constant updates on facebook about the many FABULOUS places you’re going and the FABOULOUS people you’re meeting, and all the FABULOUS Funtastic times you’re having? little braggy and annoying. I get it, you’re abroad. thanks for the 100th update. I’m starting to wonder if you’re actually anywhere, or if you’re just creating an elaborate facebook web of lies; after all, if you really are having such a fabulous time staying in the touristy sections of cities for one day then claiming you ‘know’ that country now (um, you don’t), how are you finding all thist ime to facebook?
This article appears in Jul 3-9, 2008.
Yeah, it kinda sucks to be stuck with the boring summer job when it seems like everyone else is out having a blast. But isn’t that what facebook is about? It would be pretty boring to browse a friend’s page to see: “this is me studying in the library” and “here’s a picture of me working in a gas station”.Facebook IS a brag book- especially for those people who have 2300 friends and don’t actually interact with any of them. Try not to take it too seriously!Hopefully, you’ll get to do the things you want, and you’ll probably appreciate it a lot more than some over-privileged brat with Daddy’s gold card in his pocket.
it makes you sound so bitter when you use the phrase “daddy’s gold card” or any cajoling ‘rich-kid’ variation (that goes to all of you sorry little LTTWB-lifers)… OP- i dont think anyone’s trying to rub it in your face unless it’s your buds giving you the 100th update… i suspect you are just a barely-even acquaintance of the facebook-traveller and are feeling terribly sorry for yourself after all that creeping.
Seven – spoken like a true “rich kid.”
Facebook is a good way to keep in touch with people you wouldn’t call on a regular basis, but you’re somewhat interested in what they’re doing. But the whole bragging/ popularity contest/ look how cute this baby is – thing is pretty tired. I’ve recently dumped a bunch of “friends” and am down to almost 1 page (which I feel is still excessive – I honestly can’t think of 50 people I’m overly interested in hearing about hourly) and I enjoy the site alot more now.Maybe you should delete these people as friends? It might take some unnecessary frustration out of your life.
Facebook is the enemy.But traveling friends are interesting and they’re off having great adventures and I’m happy for them.The petty, bitter envy in this post says a lot more about the OP than about the “bragging” friends.
I disagree Jams – when I’m on an awesome vacation, the last thing I want to do is constantly update my facebook status. I’m too busy enjoying myself.
Hmmm, I can see how my jab might have come across as “bitter”, but I certainly don’t feel that way. I could care less who’s money they’re spending. But I was commiserating with the OP because I may have felt that way myself at times (in different contexts, when I was a bit younger). I’m just trying to tell the OP that he/she probably won’t feel that way forever….hopefully! I don’t think anyone’s trying to rub it in your face. But if it bugs you so much, drop it! Wouldn’t that feel kind of liberating? I think it’s all kind of lame, but I like to use it for showing pictures to my family. I suppose I could use flicker instead….
I also meant to say that facebook DOES allow you to heavily edit how you want people to see you. I guess if you were so inclined, you could create quite an elaborate deceit. If someone feels the need to go way over the top with the obsessive journalistic documentation of their own lives, they are either REALLY interesting people…..or may have a little too much time on their hands!Like Qwerty, I’d rather enjoy myself than document me pretending to enjoy myself.
Agreed Qwerty. Facebook is silly and I don’t understand the draw and the need to update it on every small detail.I was responding to what I saw in the original post as a deep resentment of people who can afford to run off and travel the world, family money or not. I’m happy for the people that can do that. It’s not their problem that my family wasn’t wealthy so I couldn’t do those things.As for “rubbing it in our faces” – yeah sometimes it seems that way. But maybe, just maybe, they are just excited about what they’re doing…
P.S. To explain – I guess I didn’t see Facebook as the main point in the post. I read hating on “overprivileged” people with “mommies money” as the main theme. It struck me as awfully small-minded and resentful.
Oh, and hey, here’s a thought: no one is forcing you to look at those pictures of Ritchie Rich cavorting in the South of France….