The Birthday Experiment.

My REAL birthday is on November 17. On my Facebook page it says February 29. (Yes, I wrote that I was a leap year baby.) Now, people lie about their online information all the time, but I wanted to know just how far people would believe anything that was on the internet.

Last year, I changed my birthday on my profile. On my actual birthday, I got about 40 ish birthday greetings spread throughout the day. Some of which were from my family, my block mates and team mates whom I spent everyday in school with, and a few close friends from high school and other organizations. Today, the 29th of February, I got about 50 birthday greetings in the first hour and a half alone. Only 12 people contradicted this and knew it wasn't my real birthday.

Now, I know it's a bit of a stupid experiment (and some of you probably feel fooled after finding out it isn't really my birthday), but come on, don't you think that technology has made us lazy? We can't compute without calculators, can't read without eBooks downloaded onto our Kindles and iPads, or even greet people without Facebook reminding us. And it's not because we've forgotten, but it's because we've become lazy to think. Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, not live our lives for us.

And I will admit, there are times when I'm out that I sometimes find myself favoring social media sites like twitter and Facebook over socializing in person, but then it hits me.. Nothing will ever compare to standing in front of someone, looking them in the eye, and speaking to their soul.

Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for technology. But I don't think it's an excuse for us to stop using our minds or making our own decisions. Technology can only calculate so much. If you ask me, a gut feeling, or a personal connection can only be truly felt if we allow ourselves to be human. Just a thought.

Happy FB birthday to me! & I am thankful for the birthday greetings though. I know you all mean well. :)