Faceless

Well, I've almost abandoned the regular phone and the TV (except for Brit's show on FoxNews, Sox games, and watching DVDs), I probably use my digital camera as much as my cell phone, I mostly email my friends and family and get my news on the net.

But I don't think I'll go in for Facebook. Someone about my age has, with questionable results. Emily Yoffe, Slate, RCP:

It's clear that if you are in the target demographic for a face-lift, you're not going to know a lot of people on Facebook.

She struck out a lot, but then looked up old friends from academia, assuming they would be more connected to the prime student demographic. She found one in California:

My other professor friends didn't even have profiles. After I read an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education about the evils of Facebook, this was less of a surprise. In the piece, one journalism professor is quoted asking a class of 140 students how many had watched the NewsHour on PBS the night before. Only a few hands went up. Then a student said, "Ask them how many use Facebook." Every hand went up. "I was amazed," the professor said.

This sounds like progress to me, especially if they are budding journalists.

I read on. Facebook users send each other imaginary gifts. This I like even better. Imaginary teddy bears. There is still a trunk of beanie babies under the guest room bed. I think I'll send off this real gift first to my Facebook kids who have moved out. The imaginary gifts can go off later.

But I still think I'll pass on Facebook. As my contemporary, Ms. Yoffe would understand, at my age it's best to leave most to the imagination.