Facebook Wedding Invitation?
Saturday, July 25th, 2009Mikel King just received his first wedding invitation through Facebook’s event system. He relates his reaction to this invitation in an article entitled Welcome to the age of the techno-wedding for Examiner.com. Mikel, the NY Consumer Technology editor, is no stranger to emerging technology, but even he was taken aback by the largely impersonal and tasteless (my word!) decision to reduce a wedding to a Facebook event.
Mikel’s reflection on techno-weddings might best be described as forward-looking satire. Nevertheless, I feel that he shares my concern that the new technology is radically changing the way human beings (even New Yorkers!) relate to each other. While cost is obviously an important consideration for a wedding, I am not convinced that the extra pasta dish at the reception buffet is worth skimping on your wedding invitation. In fact, your wedding invitation will be around a lot longer than the pasta.
Having “followers” on Twitter or “friends” on Facebook seems to be the equivalent of having lice on a dog. The lice are along for the ride without having to make an emotional commitment. “Let’s party” is the not the equivalent of “Let’s get married,” even though Facebook Events would like you to think so.
As a tired old dog, I just think the Generation Y-ers have simply exchanged the TV remote control for a super-smart phone. Texting is not engagement. In fact, one wonders if texting is really a form of communication or just a nervous habit to avoid a commitment at a more deeply personal level. Surely, once we strip tradition, elegance and etiquette from important events in people’s lives we effectively sever the connection to past generations that transcends our daily concerns.
Like Mikel, I guess I need to wait for the “neo-retro-wedding trend” to emerge once tweeting about yourself loses its moronic charm.
Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair