Facebook or not Facebook; o shit am I getting old?

I'm thinking about whether to go on Facebook.Well I'm in the socially embarrassing but advantageous position of not having a facebok page..Advantageous because lots of people are using it and so there's a history which I can discuss with people I know and value.A friend of mine was saying to my partner that facebook is a waste of time,full of superficial drivel.My son really likes it,although an aquaintance said his one line comments  drove him nuts made him 'unfriend' him. A big question for me is, where I am I going to take time from for this new cool thing?As each new gizmo has arrived,we have seen a corresponding decrease in the time we spend together.The time dads spend with family is abysmal. I did hear it has increased  slightly in recent years though,up to a wopping  average of something like 10 minutes a day.My kids say well what are we going to say anyway,its boring! (talking with parents) I say its not that we are going to have some riveting conversation or play an exciting game or anything neccessarily,but its just that we can be around to interract.The converse is true for computer conversations-I dont hear the conversations,unlike the ones that happen offline here.We used to be a party to the conversations of our community and family-now we are not.That's the thing that has been disturbing me;which I couldn't name for ages.You dont know who is there.The community isnt listening.Its secret. I don't want every conversation to be public-but once apon a time you knew what was going on-not so now. Also the person on the computer isnt in the room.I mean they are in body,but they aren't here.That's a loss.We don't need any more losses in the home.We need increases in time alone,time without stimulus,time to talk,to listen I'm about to be labelled "old" and written off from comment by my kids.But I'll never be written off as I have a sense of the timeless and the valuable that will have its way.
Its obviously a cool tool.For keeping in contact when you are away from friends colleagues or family.For me as an artist and a poet it could let people know what' on, it could direct them to this blog,to my website etc
But lets not overrate Facebook.People have been talking for a long time.News has always travelled fast.Web media or not.Anyway,to finish, I wrote a poem about facebook a few months back which I'll share with you now.Kind of a modern take on unrequited love.I think it should be a song- I keep hearing steel guitar and country melodies accompanying it.........


One thousand two hundred friends

One thousand two hundred friends and I feel lonely

Even though I have eyes for you only

One thousand two hundred friends and I feel lonely

You just don’t seem to want to know me

Ive twittered and you don’t tweet back

Ive texted chatted tried to hack

Made posts that really mattered

Ive networked myself to the bone

And you. you wont even phone

Cause I’ve got  One thousand two hundred friends and I’m still lonely

All the while with eyes for you only

One thousand two hundred friends and I feel lonely

You just don’t seem to want to know me

My Eyes are tired from googling darling

Hoping you will appear on my search engine

My blackberry is out of juice

Called the help desk for a truce

Ive upgraded my peripherals twice

Made my profile nice

But you don’t even want to know me  

Cause I’ve got  One thousand two hundred friends and I’m still lonely

All the while with eyes for you only

One thousand two hundred friends and I feel lonely

You just don’t seem to want to know me

Ive seen you on trade me

I’m ready to buy now baby

But youre bidding me farewell

My watchlist is saying sell  

And I’ve got  one thousand two hundred friends and I’m still lonely