On Facebook And Birthdays

It's fascinating, the number of people who need to say happy birthday on Facebook. Today is my girlfriend's birthday and her page is awash with people who are wishing her a happy birthday. And that's lovely. But here's the thing. She's not there. She left for the Download music festival days ago and won't read the message for days after. She even left a message on her page saying this, so there is no excuse for ignorance of the fact. I would wager most of these people have her number, and can contact her directly, but its almost as if they need to use Facebook.

So why? Is it more a selfish response? Do people need to be seen to have done it? Or has it just been so ingrained into the collective consciousness as the thing to do, much like the WoW player's robotic response of "gratz" to the input "ding". Either way it strikes me as demeaning the message, voiding it of feeling and emotion. Facebook messages are the cybermen of birthday greetings.

I thank those who may well have actually sent their wishes with true intention, but I fall back on my original observation that your social programming has blinded you to the option of giving her a call, or even just a fucking text.

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