Everyday I read on Facebook about people being pregnant and people having babies. And I read about wars and rumors of wars and all the other “end of days” stuff that people refer to when things like the tsunami in Japan occur. At any given moment someone is experiencing amazing pain in their life and someone else is experiencing amazing joy in their life.
It’s interesting to watch the cross-section of humanity on Facebook. You get an intriguing view into people’s lives. You see happiness, pain, agony, loss, joy, bliss and every other human emotion. And as compassionate beings, we tend to relate to these Facebook Friends.
When someone you care about is going through something awful or when they are celebrating one of life’s great moments, you can observe, even if only from a distance. That’s nice. What’s even nicer is that we can let the other person know that we care about their pain and that we care about their joy.
I think that to not engage with people is to miss one of the most important values of Facebook. Don’t just be a voyeur. Let people know that you care. You do care. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be watching what people are posting on their Walls and in their Photo Albums. So, instead of just being a spectator, let people know that you are thinking about them. Click the “Like” button below their post, link, or photo. Add a comment or two. Spread the love. You’ll be glad you did. And so will they.