I was shocked today to see the life of a friend, and eventually the end of their life play out on Facebook. You see and hear about it in newspapers but today I saw it first hand and it’s not pretty.

The ever more heavy usage of social networking and online really has taken it’s toll on communication and I think at times very much to the detriment. It’s too simple to blame networking etc for certain specific situations but as I read the comments from this guy and those of his friends I do start to wonder what might have happened in the age of the telephone call.

As one person commented I was looking and not seeing, that’s what social networks allow us to do. I saw the post a couple of weeks back ‘I hate life’. Have you seen that sort of post before? Did you read anything into it? Comment on it? Call the person? I am sure those who new him best did, at least I hope so, but now a few weeks after that comment and the ‘Goodbye’ that followed he is gone.

I love social media and it’s power, the world is better for it in so many ways, I would say though, just sometimes pick up the phone to those you have been meaning to for some time. Who knows how important that call could be.

Paul R.I.P