What Can I Say On Facebook?

Posted by Kathy Torrence on Mar 9, 2013 in Family Stuff, Uncategorized |

What do you say when someone posts something on Facebook that is obviously directed at you (and not in a good way)?  Do you address the comment?  Or do you let it go?

Today I posted on Facebook about my FAA furlough frustration.  My husband and I (both FAA employees) will each have to take 11 days with no pay between April and September of this year.  A few hours later, one of my friends snapped back with her own post and said that I was “whining”, that at least I have a job and that at least I got 30 days notice.  Then one of her friends said that she was tired of hearing about a small paycut when others have to attend job fairs.

Ouch.

I thought long and hard about how I would respond.

I did respond – directly.  I said that I couldn’t help but take her post personally, that I was grateful for my job and then I removed my “whining” post about the furlough.

Was it insensitive for me to post about my 10% pay cut while others are out of work completely?

What is an acceptable Facebook post and what is not?

Should I post about having a cold while others are suffering from cancer?  Should I post about small damage from a storm while others lost their homes in hurricane Sandy?   Should I post about losing 5 pounds while others are morbidly obese?  Should I post about my children while others are infertile?  Should I post about my vacations while others are home-bound?  Should I post about receiving a promotion while others have lost their jobs?

Life on Facebook is not real.  Everyone filters their lives – only showing the best (or worst).   Facebook doesn’t offer enough characters to post an entire thought from start to finish.  Only some pieces in the middle that show just a glimpse of who we are.

I recently had an acquaintance announce on Facebook that she was getting a divorce.  Apparently, this had been going on for almost a year.  There were no indications this was happening in her life.   On Facebook, everything was great.  Photos of her son, posts about the weather, posts about her job…no posts like, “My marriage is headed downhill” or “I want to be single again” or “Does anyone know a good divorce lawyer?”

I think I may stop posting on Facebook for a while.  If I have to second-guess everything I post for fear I may offend someone with my joys/frustrations because someone has it better/worse, Facebook has lost its value to me.

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