Why doesn’t he like Facebook?
Who is Stanley Bing who declared he doesn’t like Facebook, repeating the statement three times? Does his recent Fortune magazine column titled “We’re Forever Blowing Bubbles” show he’s just contrarian, or a kind of dinosaur who hates the social media and their innovations? Wikipedia describes him as an American writer who “explores pathology and authority,” so how can he dismiss the fact that multitudes all over the world not only like but absolutely love FB?
Is he serious in inviting folks to call him a reactionary or a Luddite because, as he states, he has no interest in sharing anything with anybody, much less the general public? Is he being candid in saying “I can’t believe that in future everybody is going to continue to want to share things”? Or is he being facetious in saying he doesn’t need more friends as he already has a few? Can he seriously contend that FB is part of today’s “pop culture,” a “greedy engine of postindustrial capitalism [producing] a gigantic bubble of consensus,” and that there’s no reason for its existence?
How can he not marvel at the social revolution that his baby-faced compatriot Mark Zuckerberg has wrought? Can he ignore the multitudes of youngsters who adore FB because it allows them to natter incessantly online, flaunt their every move, taunt their elders and disseminate pictures of themselves? What about the oldsters harking back to their youth who might languish on rocking chairs if they didn’t have FB to keep them occupied?
Can he really not understand why thousands (nay, millions) enjoy communicating with relatives and friends, sending jokes, spreading gossip, ventilating their views on whatever strikes their fancy?
Can’t Mr. Bing accept that lots of people all over the world need to relieve their boring lives with all manner of entertainment—or, if they’re born exhibitionists, tell the world about the thrilling things they do? Does he begrudge all those who like spinning yarns, airing opinions and scattering their pearls of wisdom? Can’t he see that folks venting their feelings in FB do so to let off steam and, in the process, minimize their blood pressure? Finally, does he think that folks whose lives revolve around FB are self-absorbed narcissists or serial pontificators inflicting their views on a hapless public? Is he far from wrong about that?
How can he discount Pinoys in the diaspora who keep in touch with friends and loved ones by exchanging news and cell phone photos? Though recent reports say stocks have dropped for those who invested in FB, does it matter to the migrant worker who can’t afford to buy stocks in anything and just wants to send out love notes? Don’t I wish I could take Mr. Bing around Hong Kong, where I live, and show him FB’s ubiquity on weekends among the Pinays who hunker down around Statue Square and other parts of this concrete jungle, giggling over FB on their Smart phones and laptops while feasting on pancit and adobo, playing tong-its and giving each other a pedicure on the sidewalk?
Hasn’t anyone told Mr. Bing that Pinoys are the world’s champion texters who’ve also embraced FB unconditionally? Does he begrudge all the women seeking mates via FB who yearn to live happily ever after away from their poverty-stricken homes after years of drudgery abroad? And what about the men seeking women (or men) for partners, lovers and caregivers?
Can Mr. Bing deny that vast swathes of people on the planet need FB to interact with each other, not just for fun but to educate themselves and even try to change the world, sometimes attempting to mount mini-revolutions? Does he similarly discount those other California entrepreneurs Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams and Biz Stone whose creation, Twitter, lets instant reports circle the globe? Shouldn’t he also celebrate those young compatriots of his for their achievement in keeping the world linked—just like Facebook does?
Do most folks prefer to live like monks and not tap on keyboards sending serious stuff or frivolous guff around the globe? Is the computerized “Cloud” in the stratosphere what Stanley Bing doesn’t like? I’ll wager that’s the “bubble” he implies will soon burst!
Isabel Escoda is a freelance journalist based in Hong Kong.
