MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

How Social Media Destroys Friendships

By

YouTwitFaceI have a mate, lets call him ‘Dave K’, that I was at school with from Sub A – Grade 1 to everyone else below a certain age.

Now, we see each other now and again, chat, catch up, have a laugh and move on secure in the knowledge that we can say anything to each other based on the years of friendship we have.

OR SO I THOUGHT

I saw ‘Dave K’ on Saturday morning and approached him in that friendly ‘boys school, childlike/ish manner’ keen to catch up and have a natter.

What shocked and hurt me to the core was how he turned to me and without preamble and in a shop full of strangers castigated me for a recent post that I had made on Twitter.

No:

  • “Hi Mate, how are you, long time, I saw your post on Twitter/Facebook and would love to chat about how it made me feel!”
  • “Hi Mate, we have known each other for a long long time and something you said on Twitter/Facebook has been bothering me for a long time – would you mind clarifying what you said and why?”

Only, as an opening/closing salvo:

  • “You are not doing yourself any favours on Social Media – that Peanut Butter incident happened years ago”

When asked to explain ‘Dave K’ went off in a huff leaving me to wonder if the friendship we had just shared for over 40 years had all been a lie and ‘Dave K’ hadn’t really been my mate all along.

Score:

140 Characters from Twitter – ONE, 40 Years of Friendship – ZERO!

The following two tabs change content below.
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy LinkedIn profileMy Flickr profileMy Pinterest profile

Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.