My dad and me before my first year of college '09

My father is a prime example of how technology has changed the way we communicate. When I was younger, MSN instant messaging was huge. I would spend hours talking to my friends that I had seen no more than ten minutes ago on the bus. I then graduated to Myspace, to Facebook, and now to Twitter. My father, at 53 years of age, questioned my interest in the mundane things people were saying at every level. He couldn’t understand what was so invigorating about people’s choice in ice cream flavor or their shoe choice for the day. “People just don’t communicate with others like they used to.” “Why don’t you just pick up the phone and call them?” He would say to me. I tried desperately to explain to him how much easier and more fun this made my interactions with people. I could be the most informed, without leaving the comfort of the pj’s. I don’t think he ever understood the point I was trying to make until one glorious day he discovered social media for himself. One small step for Facebook, one giant leap for Pete Wolfe.

In the beginning, this required a lot of patience from my Mother and me as we answered questions about what this does and how do I do that. Eventually he caught on and can now hold his own in the Facebook world. I could even go as far as to say -and he would kill me if he read this- he’s a Facebook addict. This particular social media platform has changed the way he functions on a daily basis. He can now find out what time his buddies are going on a bike ride without having to call them. He can get in touch with old motorcycle friends that he hasn’t talked to in 30 years with a click of a button.

One night I called my parents to tell them goodnight. My mom answered the phone and we chatted for a few minutes, then I asked to speak to dad. She told me that he was cleaning the kitchen and to call back a little later.  To kill time until my next call home, I logged on to Facebook. At the top of my news feed it told me that my father had posted something two seconds ago. So, I told him goodnight and that I loved him….through Facebook.

The way my father lived and communicated before social media, ceased to exist. He finally understood that you can find out more about people using Facebook -in his case- than you ever could at first meeting. Social media, whether it’s Myspace, Facebook, or Twitter, has forever changed our social experience.