Facebook has made us flakey

Posted on: 24 August 2010

I've always silently despised the Maybe option when RVSPing to an event on Facebook. Why is it there? It's turning the 'Facebook generation' into a fickle, undependable bunch of people.

Remember the good old days of paper party invitations? You had to decide, firstly, am I available on this date, and secondly, do I want to go? Then you made the decision either way. And although your decision wasn't set in stone, you usually kept your promise.

Nowadays, thanks to social media and the like, you receive an invitation, you give it the quick once-over, then you tap maybe, stick it on the back-burner, and before you realise, the event has passed. Thanks to Facebook, we no longer have to make the decision - we no longer have to think ahead to see if we're free, or even bother to decide if we want to attend said event. And more often than not, we'll flake on those barely-made plans.

The other - equally frequent use for the maybe option on Facebook is to let a host down gently. You don't ever really see yourself attending said event, but you don't want the host to see their event isn't up to your standards; so you nonchalantly tap that maybe button. I mean, you may just decide to go - for all they know. You, on the other hand, have already forgotten all about the event.

I urge you, don't be a flakey maybe'er. Be a man. Make a decision. Stick to it.