Phantom Acquaintances

As evolved as we are as human beings, there seems to be a piece of an etiquette missing in the world of social networking. Have all of the modern technologies suddenly make people morally retarded, and, lacking all forms of regard for a socially acceptable interaction?

By that, I do mean the sheer courtesy of using that send message feature on Facebook where you can first say hello, before clicking on that “add as friend” request. I mean, just adding someone you have not spoken to for more than 18 years without first sending any message is just plain rude!

I have been particularly annoyed with the recent influx of requests in my Facebook account from such acquaintances. Sure, we were once schoolmates and what nots. Fortunately, fate has it that we go on our separate ways. I certainly have my reasons for retreating away from them back then, mainly because of negative vibes and unnecessary nonsensical politics in the group dynamics. It was a conscious effort on my part to happily back away from all of that. I didn’t think I mattered to them then, so why should I suddenly matter to them now? Vice versa for me, too. These people never did matter to me. If they were, we’d still somehow be in touch. Somehow, some way.

I don’t understand the psyche of these people. Really, the least they could do is just send me a message. It’s not like we talked and had coffee yesterday! It has been almost 20 years now without news nor interest to contact of any kind , and suddenly these etiquette-idiots decide to reconnect with me via “add friend” request? Errr... excuse me, at which point of my life in the last 2 decades since we lost touch have you actually added value to my life that ascertain life-long friendships?

I mean, really. At what point do these people suddenly feel they have the right to intrude in my life to “just reconnect and catch up”? These are not even friends to me, rather, phantom acquaintances. Blasts from my pasts, in which I have no interest or inclination to rekindle the lost connections. Not when you didn't bother to first send me a message. I add them when they request for it, yet we never message each other and they float around silently in my lists like ghosts, probably trying to snoop around once in a while. (good thing for privacy settings!). I am only just another number of connections they have to show the world how popular they are.

It’s hard to feign friendship. Believe it or not, my really, really close friends are far and between. I can literally use my ten fingers to count them, and probably with a few more fingers to spare. I’ll take quality over quantity anytime. They may not even be on Facebook.