As if we don't have enough social networking outlets as it is, a new website has caught my eye lately that's bringing self-esteem to an all-new low. It's the current craze of formspring.me - the site that will cause the most drama out of them all.
"I just want to see what people have to say about me that they can't say to my face," a friend said to me when I questioned her motives for creating a formspring account. For those of you who don't know, formspring.me is a website where you can create an account and anonymous or identified users can ask you questions. There have been similar applications on Facebook and MySpace such as "Truth Box" and "Honesty Box." It's like a Facebook wall, only people consider their harsh or inappropriate comments on formspring justified due to the mere premise of the site.
Speaking of Facebook and MySpace, it won't be long until formspring.me starts coordinating with them, providing access to formspring from these other websites such as Twitter or Tumblr. The more social networking sites you are a member of, the larger amount of questions you will get from people from each respected site. The fact that this is something that someone would want baffles me.
It seems that pure honesty is becoming a thing of the past. We have entered the age of complete obsession and need for approval and opinions. The actual statement on formspring.me reads, "Send and receive anonymous questions, and learn more about people you find interesting by following their answers." It sounds innocent enough, but then again, Facebook started as a way for college students to communicate with each other and now my grandma has an account.
It's what every social networking junkie wants - a site essentially just for them where people can be most honest about what they think of you. You are the center of attention and all eyes (virtually) are on you. But what I don't understand is why people would think this was beneficial. Why would you want someone's opinion if they can't, as my friend so gracefully put it, "say it to your face?" I can see the appeal of it but only in the suspense and anxiety it would cause an individual. You are literally waiting for the next critique. Not to mention it's feeding what most adamant social networkers thrive on: talking about themselves.
Foster Kramer, in an article named "Formspring.me: The Sociopathic Crack Cocaine of Oversharing" at gawker.com said it best, "This is a dangerous, mischievous platform of oversharing that is, at best, indulgent, and at worse, the most self-serving experience one can create for themselves on the internet from every which angle you approach it."
The other day my roommate and I were discussing formspring (rather, I was scolding her for making one) and she told me a story about a girl she went to high school with. Apparently, someone left a question on this girl's formspring that said, "Why do you cake on your makeup like a clown and never smile in your pictures?" From my research I've found that most girls respond cattily or sarcastically to outward insults via formspring, so this girl said something along the lines of, "I'm sorry you feel that way :)." Later in the week, my roommate told me that said girl from high school had a new profile picture on Facebook that featured her with no makeup on, sporting a huge smile.
This story is the best example of the damage formspring can cause, and it's capable of so much more than that. You can claim all you want that it's "just a website," but when it comes down to it, it's still a very hurtful thing. Don't subject yourself to such obvious psychological abuse. If someone wants to ask you a question, they should, indeed "say it to your face.
