If you have flown anywhere in the US recently, you know it’s not pleasant. First they took our amenities, then our dignity. Aside from being starved, strip-searched and charged for everything from legroom to luggage, any human help has basically been eliminated in the event of an emergency, such as a delay or missed connection. According to this CNN article, however, Twitter might be just the solution to the airlines’ problems.

I am a fairly patient traveler and have a great deal of respect for airline industry jobs. I also appreciate this country taking the necessary steps to ensure our travel safety. All things considered, it could be worse… But it could also be MUCH better (and having just flown Qantas to Australia, I can indubitably make this statement!) TSA regulations aside, the airlines themselves have deteriorated tremendously in customer service. Which strikes me as slightly odd since they are, in fact, a service industry…

Qantas, on the other hand, made flying economy feel like first class. Now granted, the fact that this was an International flight may account for some of my phenomenal experience, but not all of it! So if Twitter can be used to address passenger concerns and help alleviate some of the chaos, I am all for it! Delta even has a dedicated staff @DeltaAssist just for Twitter questions.

So will Twitter make flying a breeze?  The evidence isn’t conclusive, but the bottom line is – it can’t hurt.  Now if only Twitter could get me to and from the airport…

So, you created a Facebook profile ages ago…  You have 1,264 friends (half of who you don’t even know personally) a quarter you’ve had only a few conversations with, but haven’t talked to in months and the rest are family or friends you mostly connect with via email or Skype.  In fact, you haven’t uploaded any pictures or posted an update in days…  Come to think of it, when is the last time you actually USED Facebook (other than just receiving an annoying message alert.)  Not only that, but you’re still harboring resentment towards Mark Zuckerberg for taking away your privacy rights behind your back!!

If you’re suffering from any (or all) of the above, don’t worry; you’re not alone.  What you may be experiencing is Facebook Fatigue and it seems to be sweeping the nation….  At least Great Britain, according to this Science & Tech article.

I recently watched, “The Facebook Obsession” a CNBC documentary that raised a lot of interesting questions.  It took a hard look at the good, the bad and the future of Facebook.  On the one hand, it reunites long lost friends, family members, colleagues and the like.  It allows photo sharing and provides intimate details about the lives of those you can’t be close to.  On the other, it has actually destroyed lives; people have lost jobs, or loved ones, to the mass exploitation of demographic information that is Facebook.   In the middle, you have those who simply use it to keep in touch.

So, where does that leave Facebook?  There are a lot of pieces to this puzzle, particularly based on your feelings about Facebook and Privacy.  We all know, when we go online – we’re putting it out there, so to speak.  No matter WHAT you say, you’re assuming a certain amount of risk.  Therefore, necessary measures must be taken on your part to ensure privacy.  But Facebook went beyond that by falsely alluding their customers into believing their information was completely safe.  Another theory is the “novelty” factor, which the aforementioned article addresses in depth.  Perhaps it is merely leveling off and becoming commonplace.

In any event, the honeymoon appears to be over, and whether or not Facebook will join MySpace and Friendster in going the way of the Dodo is still TBD.  No matter what you’re feeling about Facebook, fatigue is just one possible side effect created by Google’s biggest competitor.  As for me, I’m still waiting for the next big thing;-)

Are you suffering from Facebook Fatigue?