As per guidelines provided, a guilty pleasure in our daily interaction with media refers to an activity we enjoy, such as watching a TV show or listening to a specific type of music, that also carries an amount of guilt derived from doing so. In my particular case there are a few examples, more than I realized I had before this paper was commissioned; I sometimes mock news anchors on cable channels that stand on the opposite side of my political spectrum, and on occasion zoom in on so-called “trashy” reality TV shows (e.g. Jersey Shore) to see what the buzz is about. However, my fix of choice in guilty thrills from media, is judging characters based solely on their everyday browsing in the social network Facebook.com.

I know it is wrong, but it’s too much fun. I learned long ago not to judge a book by its cover, and not to interpret an object by a picture of it. Nonetheless, some of those principles get breached when I browse through my cyber friends’ feeds (and profiles sometimes) on the social forum. Facebook.com opens up a window into the life of others that may be deceiving at times, but spot-on accurate in other occasions. The ironic twist is that other users may, and in fact probably do form an opinion of myself just the same as I do of them. This latest development is evident at times when I initiate a virtual conversation or chat, and they happen to know things about me that I was not fully aware my peers perceived.

I get a chuckle when I see a friend posting on Facebook.com and then “liking” their own post, because I think it shows a lack of style and “coolness.” I also rub my hands together and smile when another acquaintance has an obsession with food, and he posts up pictures of every meal for everyone to see. There is also the friend that interacts with their own dubious-character associates, and their low class comments spill over and pollute my feed. To label everyone feels like taking cheap shots, and it should be said that sometimes I have incurred in the same conduct I criticize (e.g. I’ve uploaded pictures of food before, but mine were nice I promise). First in the list is the perpetual single, a friend that hates being alone and blames the world for her misfortune on every other status update.

Another interesting character is the serial citer, who will flood the gates of our browser with quotes from famous persons all day long. I also notice the activities of the snub. Such individual will do a check-in on Facebook every time they are physically at a place considered worthy of announcing to the masses. The party animal needs no explanation, and one of my favorites, the needy friend, is also present. This acquaintance will call me on the phone five seconds flat after I “like” or comment on any of her posts or pictures. There are also others, such as friends that seem to be defined exclusively by what they do for a living, and never comment or talk about anything else than work-related affairs.

My guilty pleasure is Facebook.com and its user-generated media. I feel remorse in the joy that I experience from mocking the actions of some of my friends, but I can not help it. Being human means that to see something, also involves analyzing it. For the record, I am fully aware that my own actions likely get the same treatment. Maybe we all do it; maybe we all poke fun and pretend to know better than our silly peers. At least for me, now writing about it, this conduct slowly begins to appear under a new light. Perhaps this diversion has grown old already, and it is time to move on. It could be that now I fully realize the scope of my actions, and guilt begins to overwhelm the pleasure.