It's something really, how Facebook has turned tens of millions of Americans into people who refer to themselves in the third person on a regular basis.

I say this as someone who has done the deed myself. But lately I've gotten a little uncomfortable about it. Maybe because my "friends" are wittier. Maybe because I don't do many interesting things. Maybe because I let things sneak up on me and pounce. . . like I invited the tiger over for dinner and didn't realize that the dinner would be me. I like it, though. And I think Facebook and sites like it are here to stay.

Like any recent technology, Facebook has received its fair share of scrutiny. And it has it's own benefits. The whole concept of "keeping in touch" is a cornerstone of that book by Danny Wallace that I'm reading right now. Thanks to Facebook, I'm able to keep up with friends from elementary school, high school, college, seminary, and now high school again. I've got family on there; I've got family of friends on there. It's how I learn about engagements, pending births, and my former students' college habits.

I wonder what it's like to not be a high school teacher and have Facebook. I mean, much of my interaction online there is with former students leaving or getting ready to leave or on their way back for vacation. The site was made for people like them, really. They who love to post all of their momentary thoughts and dozens of pictures of friends doing random things. (Me? Very few pictures with actual faces in them.) And then, somewhere, we [those crazy adults] acquired it [as we take and base everything else we do on the youthful impulse]. It's weird. One minute I'm reading about a kid being bored in class, the next I'm reading about a child having a great potty training day. The circle of life, I suppose.

The Atlantic Monthly recently posted an interesting article on the Facebook phenomenon. It's worth reading, I think. It's always good to reflect on the trends that overtake us. You can check the article out here.

If you follow the comments down a few clicks on that page, you can find a link to a great, humorous "newsclip" here.

And if you want to see a connection between Facebook and Shakespeare's Hamlet, go here.