The Monster That Mark (Zuckerberg) Created

Many of you are too young to remember the birth of social media. It actually started with the likes of MySpace. It was pretty tame as there really wasn't a lot you could do with it, other than talk about yourself and add your favorite music. It wasn't a huge thing at first because not everyone had a home computer or the patience to hook up to the internet through AOL or any of the other internet land line hook ups. If anyone happened to be using the phone or in fact breathing in another room, it would take forever to access the internet and once you were connected, if said person in the other room picked up the phone receiver and/or breathed, you could easily be knocked off the internet and have to go through the pain staking process of reconnecting yet again. 

As the internet and the number of internet users have quadrupaplied over the years, social media has changed immensely. Even when I first joined Facebook, it was a much different animal than today and I was even fairly late to the game when it came to Mark Zuckerberg's newly created baby. 

In it's infancy, Facebook was kind of cool. Originally it was for college age kids to chat up, meet up and hook up via the internet. It was kind of a closed knit group trying to stay relevant and hip in the ever changing world of technology. Soon though, others were stretching the original Zuckerberg appointed boundaries and before the Z-man could say "billion dollar technology" Facebook had kicked MySpace to the curb and people of all ages from 9 to 90 were getting in on the this new form of social media. 

When I joined it was in 2009. Back then it was still a cool little place to be where you ran into family and long lost friends. At that time, they did not make it easy for you to find people though and if you spent too much time searching for people, they would lock your search privileges out. I guess back then, peoples privacy actually meant something to them. You also had to be extremely careful back then about what you said on this social media platform, as anything remotely political, hateful or too negative could get you put in a "time out" where you couldn't post for several days up to and/or including.....getting kicked off permanently. It also wasn't that easy to come back in with a new "fake" profile as they did their best to track IP addresses and locations. 

In the last decade, Facebook has transformed from this homey feeling little social group with straight across the board rules, to one of the largest social media entities in the world. The Facebook of 2019, allows people not only to search people at will, but also to stalk, harass and bully. Foul language, hate speech, threats and negative and hate filled posts now seem to be the bread and butter of the empire that Zuckerberg created. What is truly tragic though, is that this once cool little piece of technology that put us in touch with Aunt Gladys in Tuscon and our long lost boy friend in Poughkeepsie, has had a rather negative effect on society in general. 

I do honestly believe that in its inception, Facebook was created to be no more innocuous than an internet meeting spot where kids across the country could meet up and chat. They could exchange ideas and it would bring this big world in a little closer. I don't think than in his wildest dreams that Zuckerberg and his crew could have ever imagined how Facebook would take off or how it would change how we look at social media and how its very presence could literally change the actions and attitudes of literally the world. 

In the last few years, Facebook has become a breeding ground for political and religious upheaval. It has become the place where the main stream media has learned to control and manipulate the minds and reactions of the masses and it has become the place where crime is committed daily. Through Facebook, people have been stalked, cat fished, bullied and threatened. Pornography and pedophilia run rampant and many, many deaths and suicides can have their roots traced back to Facebook posts. 

In my opinion though, one of the worst things that Facebook has brought out in society, is the way people have started treating each other. Behind the computer screen, people who don't have the self confidence to be bold in the real world, take out all of their frustration and anger on social media. People use it as a sounding board for attention seeking behavior and when others "like" their negative and abusive posts or comment on them, it tends to unleash truly evil and hateful tenancies in them. 

Facebook has taught us that the only opinion that counts is ours and if someone disagrees, we can throw a tantrum and become hateful and threatening. It has taught us that we should be respected but we don't have to show respect to others. It has taught us that we can put our family and friends on blast when we are angry at them and that we can literally ruin peoples families, careers and lives by posting lies, photo's and innuendos. In other words, Facebook and social media have taught us to be the worst versions of ourselves with no remorse or willingness to accept the consequences of our actions. 

Again, I don't think this was ever the desired outcome when Facebook was created. I think though, that when money and billions and billions of people factored in, this train went off the rails pretty quickly and there was simply no way to pull it back on track. 

Recently I have been mulling over my love/hate relationship with Facebook and social media in general. I still love the ability to talk to people I can't see daily and the making of new friends. I like keeping up with family and the ability to help my community with group pages. I however, am becoming more and more disillusioned with the negativity that social media seems to unleash, especially in people that I know before social media weren't like this. I don't like the pages designed for nothing more than bringing out the hate and negativity in people and the constant barrage of fake news thrown at the masses in the hopes of causing even more unrest and yes....even violent behavior. 

Honestly, my presence on Facebook (the only social media I really use), is getting smaller and smaller. I am trying in my own personal life to keep myself peaceful and positive and just opening up Facebook can often get my anxiety going when there is little positivity or kindness on it  and yet so much negativity and hate. I am taking baby steps in my life and making small changes here and there and if Facebook continues to be the mecca of diseased minds and hateful hearts, then at some point, I may have to put this particular social media in my rear view mirror. 

Mark my boy, and all who run the Facebook machine, if money and the power of ruling the masses hasn't already eaten your soul, now might be a great time to reevaluate the monster you have created and change a few things. I am afraid if you don't, that we may be seeing the last few shreds of mans humanity falling away and what will be left, I don't think any of us wants to see. 

Until next time..........

Cat's, Crime and Some Other Weird Stuff

So as I was sitting here thinking about all the things that I  currently like and don't like. Once again, I was at an impasse on what to blog about. I am not really overly passionate one way or another about anything today, so........ you guessed it, another like/dislike/hate and maybe more, blog. Sorry! This is what happens when my keel is evened out!

I have learned, much to my surprise, that dare I say....I like cats. PLEASE....do not mention this to anyone in my house. It would totally ruin my street cred as a bad ass and it might put the idea into someones head that our current cat needs a friend. Sorry kids....I'm a one cat woman. Others need not apply.

I really dislike having to be super careful about locking my doors. I can barely remember to shut them, so locking them is on a whole other level of things I forget to do. Yes....I do realize it is 2014 and no one is exempt from crime, but come on! I basically live in Mayberry. Apparently though, Mayberry has developed a bit of a seedier side since the days when Barney Fife carried a gun without ammo and Otis the drunk, was the only criminal element around. Yes, it's crap! Time to lock the doors and arm the sling shots. You dog hating cat burglars, I'm putting you on notice....so you just go ahead and make my day!

Okay...so after much thought, I have decided that I am okay with change....as long as it doesn't require me to do anything to achieve it. When I actually have to work for that change.....I'm really not much of a fan. So yes, I will change, but no, I won't like it! Happy Marni?!

I love our current warm...not hot, end of summer days and our beautifully cool evenings. It makes for fantastic times around the fire pit drinking and eating s'mores. No! This is not an addiction! I can quit anytime! Honest I can! Sigh....thus the need for the above change! Blah blah blah

I hate the predictions for above average cold and snowfall this year. I hate winter and except for the first snowfall.....I hate snow. I do like fires, s'mores and alcohol, however, it is hard to have that in the middle of snow....and change. But I digress......

I love Diet Mt. Dew!!! It is like an old friend wrapping me in mellow warmth and telling me I just won the lottery. Tis' true. I love the diet Dew just that much. Sadly, after tonight....the Dew and I are once again parting ways. Perhaps this time.....for good! It is with tears in my eyes and great sadness in my heart, that I write this. Others tell me it is for the best. They are dead to me. That being said, I am breaking all ties with diet Dew and hope that in the future, if it sees me in the store.......it will simply turn the other way as I walk by. Sniffle...snort.....sigh!

I hate that this is the last/final/never to be seen again season of Sons of Anarchy. I hate to admit it, but it truly is one of my guilty pleasures. I have so few. I think it gets me in touch with my inner biker chick. You know the one. The cute biker chick  with the cool dew rag, beautiful long braided hair and tight little leather jacket, delicately adorning the back of some ruggedly handsome bikers bike. What? No....you're right. I'm not the Jema....kick your ass, don't cross my ass, I will kill your ass type. On second thought, maybe I should just have my inner biker chick put down. She wasn't doing me much good anyway.

I love the fact that tomorrow night, Sons of Anarchy is back on. Yes, it is a bittersweet love, but love none the less. I also love me some Jax! Yes, I am old enough to be his mother! Don't judge me! Also....don't call or text me between 9 and 10. 'Nuf said!

So there you have it.....my likes/dislikes and some other weird stuff, on this glorious Monday morning. Now...aren't you glad you came along for the read?