Friending Myself on Facebook
- L. Dustin Twede
- May 12, 2017
- 2 min read
While checking Facebook this morning, I discovered there was a new friend suggestion for me. I was thrilled that someone might actually want to be my friend. In the old days, if I wanted a friend, I had to actually go out and find for one. I had to try on a candidate friend before deciding to enter into a friendship with them. And even then, there was no guarantee that when they tried me on, they found it a good fit.
Some people adopt the “more friends are better” philosophy, while others go with “quality over quantity”. Now we don’t have to worry about any of that. That’s what’s so amazing about Facebook. They’ve taken all of the guesswork and footwork out of finding a friend. So I clicked on the notification to see who my new friend was.
The suggested friend’s name was L. Dustin Twede. After a brief moment when I thought there was actually someone else with the same name as me, and kudos to Facebook for bringing us together, I realized that the person Facebook was suggesting that I “friend” was me. I have two different Facebook accounts. One is my personal account, and one is for my business (novelist and photographer). So now, I'm not sure what to do. Here are my concerns.
The photo that shows up for both accounts is the same photograph of me. Until now, I never felt it necessary to have a “personal” photograph of me as well as a “business” photograph. After all, I look the same regardless of which Facebook account I'm on. So my first dilemma is I don't know which one of me Facebook is trying to hook up with the other.
What if I decide not to go forward with Facebook’s friend suggestion? Which one of me will have hurt feelings? Which one of me will refuse to speak with the other?
If I do accept Facebook’s suggestion, will I be constantly lurking on the other me’s Facebook page to see who the other me is friends with? Are they talking about me behind my back?
What happens when one of me has more friends than the other? Will I start “friending” people I don't even know just to prove that I'm just as “popular” as the other me. Will one of me start spreading rumors to discredit the other me, thereby providing me with an opportunity to acquire the friends that just unfriended the other me.
What if I become friends with the other me, and find we have absolutely nothing in common. And we try and force a friendship just because Facebook thinks it's a good match.
What if I lose an argument with myself (outside of Facebook) and decide to retaliate by “unfriending” the other me on Facebook out of spite. What is Facebook’s tolerance policy for breaking up with oneself on Facebook? And which one of me will Facebook choose to ban?
After weighing the pros and cons, I’ve decided to accept my own Facebook friendship. But only on a trial basis. After three months we’ll sit down and evaluate our friendship before considering a more long-term commitment.
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