Facebook's 'Say Thanks' campaign
Facebook's 'Say Thanks' campaign appeared on my feed this week. Giving users the opportunity to show appreciation and gratitude to the ones they love. Type facebook.com/thanks into your address bar and see for yourself. Look, it's created a video for your best friend (assuming your best friend is the person you interact with the most) using photos of the pair of you. You can make a few customisations, but it's pretty much all done and dusted within one minute. How efficient! How quick, easy and utterly soulless.
Facebook has many friendship enhancing features. I can talk to friends and family across the world, share photos with those I love and organise chat groups with my favourite group of people (it can be hard to get everyone in the same room at the same time!). But this attempt at creating a digital connection is even more hollow that the infamous MySpace 'Top Friends' list.
'Say Thanks' gives us a glimpse into the horrifyingly efficient future they have planned for us. Making communication effortless is great - but it's something gratitude should never be.
I have been known to indulge in the hassle-free communication technology has to offer. I find it so easy to express myself to my friends in a message, but they'll be the first to tell you that I find this to be an impossible task face to face. I don't do hugging, or touching of any kind - but I use the canny blowing kiss emoji like it's going out of fashion.
You might argue that this is a good thing, it gives people like me a medium to express ourselves. To an extent, I agree. But there is actually nothing wrong with me - I'm perfectly emotional and confident and capable of communicating. Online methods are simply an escape route. I am able to harness technology and run away from affection I find inconvenient- but affection is necessary for a strong friendship. I've been given the option of an easy way out, and shamefully, I've took it.
However, even for me, 'Say Thanks' is a step too far. Cut and paste photos of your friends on to paper (with pritt stick, not ctrl + v) and sprinkle it in glitter and stuff. Buy your mates flowers and haribo or whatever they like. Bake them a cake, for crying out loud. It might look totally overcooked and look horrendous (not clean cut and slick like a pre-made Facebook video) but it's the thought that counts. That's gratitude.
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