I read an advice piece written by Washington Post writer Carolyn Hax which is featured in The Plain Dealer on Monday’s. An irate mother wrote Carolyn and wanted to know how to handle her meddling family. The daughter of the irate mother posted a Facebook status about her engagement. Instead of calling grandma and other family members before she used Facebook to announce her soon-to-be wedded bliss, she used social media. A cousin saw the status and took it upon himself to call grandma and tell her the news. Now the mother of the bride is ticked off that her daughter didn’t have a chance to call grandma and tell her the good news herself. Who told the daughter to use Facebook to announce her engagement? If it was so important that she tell grandma herself, why didn’t she?
Facebook has become the ‘busy body’ of the 21st century. Years ago, people didn’t know what was really going on within families unless there was a family gossip who took it upon herself or himself to spread news like wildfire. Fast forward to the present and in the less than 2.5 seconds you can learn that your sister and husband are divorcing because he’s been cheating on her for the past three years!
Fact: Years ago, some neighborhoods used to have ‘busy bodies’ who knew their neighbors business. They could tell you who was cheating on who, who was getting a divorce, who was an alcoholic, and anything else you’d like to know!
It’s interesting how the mother kept blaming her family for meddling when it was her daughter that committed the ‘faux pas’ in the first place. If grandma is a priority, then the daughter should have picked up the phone and called her grandma. The mother should be thankful her daughter didn’t send grandma a text message!
The next time you find yourself getting upset with meddling family members, ask yourself why you’re using Facebook to post personal information about yourself. Perhaps it’s time to cool it with social media and go back to a time when people stuck their noses in their own business. Stop reading what everyone else is doing and focus on your own life for a change. If you don’t, it could pass you by and your Facebook status won’t make a difference!
Rebecca