Facebook Façade

I walked into the Write Place behind my serpentine line of students for their writing center tutorial. Jon, the assistant director, greeted me at the door. He and I have had a couple classes together and talked more as acquaintances than friends – I don’t know him very well, but he seems like a nice guy. “I didn’t know you graduated from Park Center,” he says. Cogs churn. Pistons pump. Gears grind. How the hell did he know that?

Creepy! I try not to look as bewildered as I feel when I ask, “Oh yeah. I did. How did you know?” My resolve keeps my voice from cracking.

“Facebook,” is all his simple answer. I am repulsed. I cannot say why. Jon and I are Facebook friends, after all. But there is a taboo on bringing up Facebook in face-to-face, social conversation. The profile on my Facebook account states very clearly, for all my digital friends to read: graduate of Park Center High School in ’03; but knowing that Jon looked at it and brought it up as a conversational topic doesn’t bode well for some reason. I feel almost violated – I get the sense that he is a stalker, a Facebook stalker.

This is illogical. I’ve often gone and looked at my friend’s profiles: seen what they’re up to, where they’re working or taking classes, etc. But when I see them face-to-face, I never bring it up; in fact, I do more than not bring it up, I act as though, like Sgt. Schultz, “I know nothing!” and ask them questions to which Facebook has already told me the answer. But why?

Facebook stalkers are real, but mostly exaggerated. There are those who lurk and watch for every status update from their obsession; but not Jon. Jon is just a Facebook friend and colleague who wanted to know a bit more about me and thought it would be a good icebreaker to explain our shared background (he attended Park Center too, although years before me). So what impetus drives people to put on this Facebook façade? Others I have talked to shared similar sentiments – I’m not alone in feeling this way. What are your opinions?