Tag Archive | facebook

Our times

Apr19

pink flowers 2

 

We used to write our e-mails on paper

Then put them in a mailbox

And wait for someone to pick them up

They would then be brought to a sorting place

Put in a car or on a plane 

And delivered to another sorting place

Finally, after many days, a mailman would deliver 

These messages to the recipient’s home

 

Now, imagine waiting for a reply!

 

These days we write hundreds of what were called

Letters in those days in one day

And they are delivered in less than a second

No matter how far or near the destination

There are more advanced systems like

Facebook and WhatsApp or Instagram and Zoom

You can speak your message

Or deliver it in a video

You can video chat from anywhere in the world

You can have meetings thanks to Zoom

 

Soon, letters we’ve kept from years past

Will become as valuable as antiques

People will look at them with astonishment

And wonder how we communicated in such slow speeds

 

How times have changed

And how they will keep changing

We should not take what we have for granted

What I just wrote will be read by my friends across the world soon

No mailman, post office or plane needed

 

April 19th, 2020

 

limits

Dec6

IMG_6463

 

What’s the difference between our interactions online
And those in person
Can’t pretend that the online world does not exist
That’s how we stay in touch with family and friends
Acorss the country and around the world
It’s like letter writing on steroids

The online community is as real as the people who live close to us
We get emotional support from both
We exchange ideas both ways
We bring others cheer both ways

The secret as always is moderation
Anything done to excess is not good
Some limits we need to create for ourselves
No one else can do this for me and you

So the challenge is knowing
When it’s enough
When to stop
When to go offline
I tend to write more when I do
And this poem came to be
Because…
I left my phone accidentally at home

Dec. 5th, 2017

To Facebook or not to Facebook

Sep16

To Facebook or …

Not to Facebook?

Perhaps the answer is not no or yes

It’s hard to ignore something

So ubiquitous!

 

Rather how much should I Facebook each day?

To avoid getting addicted or perturbed?

And who should be my ‘friend’

On Facebook?

Who should read every update

And see every photo?

 

Pictures and words can connect us

Of course

Keep us up to date

And in the know

But should I put all my pictures on Facebook?

 

I’m impressed when people

Ask for information and pose questions

In their status update

An interesting way to use their network

Of friends

 

But do we need Facebook for

Relationship updates?

‘In a relationship’ can mean one thing

to me, another to my ‘friend’

And what does ‘it’s complicated’

Actually mean

That one really confuses me!

 

‘Friending’ is fun

But when do I defriend?

How do I feel if I’m the one being

Defriended?

 

How often should I change

My profile picture?

In it, should I include my spouse

And my children

 

Do I have to ‘like’ someone’s comment

So they know it was read?

Do I ‘like’ the whole album

Or just photos taken by a friend?

 

Facebook like anything else

Can be used in different ways

And these are choices that we need to make!

And for good or for bad

I’m afraid

Facebook is here to stay my friend!

 

 

November 11th, 2011

To Whatsapp or not to Whatsapp….u

Oct30

They tell me I spend too much time on Whatsapp
I’m staring at my phone too much
When we’re talking I should put my phone away
And look them straight in the eye!

I agree with complain number three
Eye contact is important when we talk
But what I do when I want to wind down
Is my business
For me to decide

If I wasn’t on Whatsapp I’d probably be on Facebook
If I wasn’t on Facebook, I may be watching TV or listening to news

We all need down time and what better way
To spend it with friends, old and new

Why not learn about someone else’s point of view?
Why not reconnect with one’s home town?

So maybe I’m on Whatsapp too much
But it’s my down time and I’ll do what I want!

Lida Berghuis
October 30th, 2015

Super-connected!

Sep3

Our ubiquitous technology
Can enhance the fragmentation of our world

When I see someone outside
Especially young adults
They usually have a headphone in their ears
And a phone in their hands

Their gaze rarely meets mine
Since either they are lost in their music
Or texting someone!

I’ve also been guilty of that!
While waiting in line
I gravitate to my phone
Check my mail
My Facebook
And sometimes I don’t realise
That it’s my turn
Because I’ve been looking down!

Friends who go out for coffee or a meal
Have to consciously decide to ignore their phones,
Their messages, their Facebook updates
And even the tweets from the Twitterverse!

I’m guilty of this too!
Sometimes my kids put my cell-phone away
Far from me
So I don’t get tempted to check things!

What happened?
How did we get here?
We walk cell-phone in hand
Can’t leave the house without it
Because we’d feel naked and out of touch!

God forbid, while traveling abroad
We get out of WiFi range
Then, it’s either a matter of paying roaming fees
(The cell phone companies know their stuff)
Or being cut off!

We’ve gotten used to the constant barrage of information
The constant demands made on us
A text from a colleague demands attention
We feel they can’t wait to get a response

And if someone does not respond to our text quickly
We wonder why, what has gone wrong?

Are we super-connected
Or disconnected from ourselves
And those nearby?

Have our lives sped up too much?
That’s why we have slow-movements now!
And we are told to do yoga, to meditate and just slow down

Today I heard one can mediate for thirty seconds
If pressed for time
Even meditation has to be sped up!

I hope that instead of becoming slaves of technology
We can use it properly
I hope we can learn to monitor the amount of info.
We expose ourselves to, and the amount of info. we share!

Moderation
The middle way
Hopefully we can find that balance one day!

Lida Berghuis
August 31st, 2014

The IV drip of e-mail and text!

Jun20

Cut off from the IV drip of e-mail and Facebook updates
It’s a throw back to the good old times
When we didn’t have instant communication at our finger tips

Do we have too much information now?
Isn’t it all too much to keep up with?
Do we need to know what someone else is doing every day?
Or perhaps hourly, as on Twitter?

Everything in moderation they say
But it’s not that simple of course
Is it something we can get addicted to?
Do we talk too much?
Have we gone off course?

Receiving texts means your phone can’t leave your side
When someone sends a text they want a response
But what if you don’t hear the ping of the text?
What if your phone is on silent by accident?

Many things can wait of course
But we’ve got used to instant communication
And can’t wait for the next piece of news

This is where discipline comes in
Where instant gratification can take a back seat
But that’s easier said than done
One can make many starts and stops

The lure of the text and the internet is always there
It’s so easy to fall back in its trap
But hopefully we can all find a happy medium
Make good use of social media and the net
But don’t get caught in their quick sand!

Lida Berghuis
June 21st, 2014

Ode to facebook!

Nov12

To Facebook or …
Not to Facebook?
Perhaps the answer is not no or yes
It’s hard to ignore something
So ubiquitous!

Rather how much should I facebook each day?
To avoid getting addicted or perturbed?
And who should be my ‘friend’ on Facebook?
Who should read every update
And see every photo?

Pictures and words can connect us, of course
Keep us up to date and in the know
But should I put all my pictures on Facebook?

I’m impressed when people ask for information
And pose questions in their status updates
An interesting way to use their network of friends

But do we need facebook for
Relationship updates?
‘In a relationship’ can mean one thing to me,
Another to my ‘friend’
And what does ‘it’s complicated’ actually mean?
This one really confuses me!

‘Friending’ is fun
But when do I defriend?
How do I feel if I’m the one being
Defriended?

How often should I change
My profile picture?
In it, should I include my spouse
And my lovely children?

Do I have to ‘like’ someone’s comment
So they know it was read?
Do I ‘like’ the whole album
Or just photos of a friend?

Facebook like anything else
Can be used in different ways
And these are choices that we need to make!
And for good or for bad I am afraid,
Facebook is here to stay
My friend!

Lida Berghuis
November 11th, 2011