Facebook Fabrications

     Facebook is a fabulous media tool in many ways. I have travelled and made friends everywhere, so it's a wonderful tool for corresponding, sharing photos and keeping in touch. I like scrolling through the photos of my daughter and watching videos of her cats, as well as reviewing the many travel photos and videos that spark ideas for where I'd like to go next.

     However, as I comb through the photos of beach parties, cruise excursions, family photos, cute grand kids, birthday cakes and cuddly dogs I wonder. Are we really having such a great time? Is everybody's life as wonderful as it all seems? Do the photos we see of our friends and their friends actually portray the lives they are leading?

     Recently a few articles have been published about the misleading element to Facebook. According to a study done by Dr. Richard Sherry, a clinical psychologist, about two-thirds of social-media users lie to ‘airbrush reality’ in order to create a more interesting life. Another survey, done by the social networking site Pencourage, found that '68 per cent embellish, exaggerate or outright lie when documenting events on social media.' This has lead to what is called 'digital amnesia,' a creation of a done-up, fantasy life that confuses facts with reality, to the point that reality is distorted and, with time, not even remembered. In other words, we're reluctant to share how boring our lives really are; we don't want to share our problems with boyfriends, lovers, and husbands. And certainly we don't want to share how desperately unhappy and depressed we are. According to Facebook, nobody's depressed or unhappy or suicidal, rather, we live in a happy world of birthday parties, weekend trips, and family soirees.

     I have to agree with Pencourage because I do know the reality of some of my friends' lives. When I see the photos of my friend relaxing on his yacht in St. Kitt's with his wife frolicking around beside him in her bikini, taking selfies of themselves goofing and hugging, you'd think they were on their second honeymoon, but in reality, their marriage is on the rocks and all they do is fight, to the point they're both unhappy and a few arguments away from the divorce court. However, you'd never know it from all the happy photos and all the responses they get on their Facebook page, with which they so kindly concur with a 'Like'.