According to the news this morning a female weather reporter in New York City has been suspended for filing a false report that she was raped in Central Park. The Today Show reporter, in his piece, began by giving us expository information about the reporter--how long she'd been at the station, how well liked she was, her running interest, etc. Then his tone changed and he got into "investigative reporter" mode.
His first piece of "proof" that the weather reporter was lying was...Facebook. In a condescending tone he explained that the day after the alleged rape, her Facebook status was "Had a great day!" And her status the next day was some silly comment about turkey, since it was close to Thanksgiving. THEN he went on to report secondary information...like her confession. And how her stories didn't match up. But Facebook led the list of damning evidence.
I wish I had the time to go through all my Facebook statuses (...stati??) for 2010. I would find that in the whole year I was only mad once. Sad? Maybe 3 or 4 times. Depressed? Never. Hurt? Never. Had a headache? Never. Heartbroken? Nope. Went to the grocery store? Not once!
That's correct--if you don't post it on Facebook it obviously didn't happen and it could come back to haunt you in a court of law. This girl obviously lied about being raped, but would her story have been more believable if she had posted "Heidi Jones was raped tonight"? Why would anyone in their right mind, any logical thinking adult, turn to Facebook as an accurate, 3 dimensional protrayal of a person's personality and/or life? Or assume that everyone enjoys posting terrible things that happen to them? Just because I never post that I'm going to grocery store, is the next logical assumption that I have an eating disorder? Or I buy my food on the black market?
People use Facebook for lots of different reasons and to varying degrees of disclosure. Facebook is a window into someone's personality but for some people--myself included--it's not an all access pass. It's not the doorway. I'm not opening the door. The door is reserved for close friends and family...people I love and trust. Everyone else is permitted to look through the window and see whatever I place in the window that day. I don't necessarily WANT everyone to know when I'm hurt or mad or devastated or angry. If I was robbed, mugged, raped, dumped, stabbed, or fired...I wouldn't put that on Facebook and I find it really offensive that Facebook should be the first place you turn to to determine if it really happened.
Totally agree with you, Jess. Well said.
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