“[W]hat did Jacques know? He remembered Anton’s admonition, “We are all friends, here.” Sure, the way Facebook defines friends. What Anton and Mark Zuckerberg really mean are “Casual Acquaintances”. At least LinkedIn is honest. Its Networks are comprised of Contacts, nothing more. Jacques’ colleagues qualified as contacts, not that they filled his LinkedIn page. Jacques’ contact page was filled with retirees and dead people.” From Toys in Babylon – A Language App Parody and Whodunnit.
There was a time, before and during the pandemic, when social media platforms were incredibly popular. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were a cornucopia of shared information and celebration – birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, new homes, gardening triumphs, memorable vacations, newborn children, and endearing pets. I counted 300+ “friends” on Facebook in 2020 and 250+ “contacts” on LinkedIn. At least a third were genuinely active, meaning they posted regularly and “liked” or commented on the posts of others. Many even solicited for charities. Without hesitation or exception, I contributed. If a friend said their special birthday wish was to assist a charity, who was I to ignore that wish? Heck, I still donate. Always.
I published my first novel during those halcyon days of social media and received hundreds of “likes” and supportive comments on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. They meant a lot. As much as I tired of seeing what my daughter’s former skate coach ordered for dinner, Facebook felt like a genuine community. And community support was one reason, perhaps, why I continued writing, and one reason, perhaps, why those charitable contributions felt meaningful.
Facebook’s heyday has obviously passed, eclipsed by Heaven knows what. I doubt whether even 30 of my “friends” are still active. Half the posts on my feed are ads, and half are reposted memes – hastily prepared images or quips designed to trigger knee-jerk reactions and nothing more – authored anonymously by complete strangers. Rare indeed is the post containing genuine news or information about a friend.
No surprise then that announcement ten days ago of my latest novel, Toys in Babylon, received four “likes” on Facebook, including one re-post (Thank you!!!). Just four likes, plus zero on LinkedIn and X. It’s a good thing I catch up with friends in person. Otherwise, I’d need a psychoanalyst. Toys in Babylon is an entertaining read. I promise.