I am drawn to Facebook's siren song. I like to write so FB is handy and the feedback is gratifying. I created my profile 10 years ago. 5 years in I realized most of my Facebook re-earthed friends disappeared again. There was obviously a reason we had lost touch. We were always friends......but not Friends.
Is this all knowing that FB provides worth it? My parents never talk religion or politics in polite company. I had fun and and it was subversive in the 70's to buck the system and watch my elders flinch or get angry. My in-laws called me Polly Anna for my optimistic views, and I laughed. It felt the same when I joined FB 10 years ago. I argued and spoke my mind and it was fun, and then it was not.
Last year in 2017 I fell into Facebook Hell. Who asked for this? I sorted through my settings; security, list of friends, paring down, sorting those I might talk my heart and Hear theirs and not offend or be offended.
They call it trolling when one goes below the belt with insults and rudeness on digital media. I feel assault. I am not a snowflake in either definition of the slang term. I am not easily offended nor am I a white supremacist. I am equally abused by the constant use of the term "liberal" as a swear word as I am by naked orange sculptures of a public figure meant to humiliate. After the 2016 election I felt abused and assaulted from everything I had seen and read about the election. I am saddened by the beautiful practice of religion being thrown around for political gain, either side.
My parents knew the rules of polite discourse. They lived it all their lives. If you want to ruin a friendship, talk religion or politics. I understand now. I protect my heart now. I protect my true friendships now. I don't need to know what everyone thinks about these two topics. The world will keep turning if I don't publicly share what I think about them. I do not believe anyone wants to understand why one thinks like they do unless asked in an intimate safe sitting, in person. Social media is now the world hurling the frustration at each other while the companies benefiting from this hurling and mud slinging laugh all the way to the bank.