Not long ago, an acquaintance was having a dispute with a family member. Now, the reason I know there was a dispute between them was not because of what I was told, but rather because they played out their dispute on Facebook! The funny thing about was that these two individuals lived in the same house! Instead of dealing with their situation face-to-face, they dealt with it on Facebook! As I looked at this situation, I began to wonder: How often is this same situation played out in the lives of so many other people?

It seems today that, in many cases, Facebook has replaced the face! Now, don’t get me wrong; I have nothing against Facebook, Twitter, or any other online social media outlet! I think Facebook is a wonderful tool for social interaction. I have a Facebook and a Twitter account myself and most likely, some of you reading this article are reading it from my Facebook page or from a link that led you to it. No! I don’t think Facebook is really the problem; the problem is that some people substitute Facebook for their face! In other words, they make statements directed toward particular individuals or address issues on their Facebook page that they don’t have the nerve to address in person!

Facebook is a great medium for keeping in touch and connecting with people we are separated from by distance, but it only causes distance when we use it as a substitute for communicating with people we could and should talk to in person. When you have an issue with someone, the world doesn’t need to know about it! Don’t air your dirty laundry on Facebook! Now, I really would like to tell you this face-to-face, but since I don’t really know you and we are indeed separated by distance, I guess Facebook, Twitter, and this blog post will just have to do!