Confessions Of An Ex-Facebook Junkie

A few year back, I was an avid Facebook user.  That's "user" as in a hard-core junkie.  It was a visceral need to log on and check out the world.  OH COME ON, don't roll your eyes at me.  You (or most of you) do/did it, too.  You'd log on, post stuff that your closest friends don't care about hoping that someone in the world will listen, like, and respond.

Thing is, the only reason I was even on Facebook was because it allowed me to upload my blog posts every week.  Then, one day, I got an error message and Facebook began blocking my posts resulting in my turning off my Facebook account.  Cold turkey, I did.  

For the first couple of weeks, I went through withdrawals.  Then came the emails from friends asking me where I went.  My sister even called to make sure I wasn't sick or dead (true story).  The funny thing is that Facebook had become a drug (more like a time suck) and initially it was hard to stay away.  I mean, what do I do with all my newfound "free" time?  

Well, being a Librarian with mad research skills, I threw myself into my work and started putting together research scenarios based on problems people I'd helped at the library told me about (hot unlike the posts I blog about every week).  

For instance, picture it:  middle-aged woman is in her back yard and a military jet flies overhead creating a loud sonic boom.  Her ears start to bleed and turns out her eardrums had burst resulting in hearing loss.  What could she do?  What would you do?  Well, what she did was to come to my library, so I could suggest she look at:

• Am Jur Proof of Facts (85 POF3d 307; Proof of Injury or Damage Caused by Sonic Boom)
• Causes of Action (TR)
• American Jurisprudence Pleading and Practice Forms (TR)
• Handling Federal Tort Claims (Lexis)
• Bender's Forms of Discovery (Lexis)
• California Forms of Pleading and Practice (Lexis)
• California Government Tort Liability Practice (CEB, Vol. 2)

Pretty good, huh?  Thing is, though, how many people actually have to deal with bleeding ears and sonic booms?  So, how about another, more down to earth, scenario? 

So this 20-something guy comes in and says his female cougar-aged boss is an avid football fan.  Seems almost daily boss smacks guys' backside "like football players do."  Guy doesn't like it and tells boss to stop.  Boss says guy is too sensitive and continues to have her way with him.  Guy complains to HR and weeks later, guy (who had heretofore had high marks on his work product) is fired.  What is guy to do?  What would you do?  Well, in front of me he stands and I suggest guy look at:

• Am Jur Trials (TR; 22 Trials 257 (Sexual Harassment on the Job)
• Mental and Emotional Injuries in Employment Litigation (BNA)
• Workplace Harassment Law (BNA)
• Am Jur Proof of Facts (TR; 29 POF 2d 335 (Wrongful Discharge of At-Will Employee - Sexual Harassment); 56 POF 3d 1; (Proof of Employer Negligence in Hiring and Supervision of Employee with Propensity Toward Workplace Sexual Harassment)
• American Jurisprudence Pleading & Practice Forms (Vol. 5B (Civil Rights § 103 et seq.); Vol 17B (Master and Servant § 529 et seq.)

and off went guy to plan his attack against former employer.

Thing is, as former social media junkie I'm just saying that if you take all the time you waste(d) dinkering around on social media sites and apply that to something other than the time you spend dinkering around on social media sites, there's no telling how much good you can do in this world.

Of course, If you want to stay in denial about your social media addiction, well, that's a whole other blog post.