The End of Humanity: Also Known as Formspring

Somehow, I knew this would be trouble. And not the good kind.

Here’s my definition in a nutshell:

Formspring: a Twitter and Honesty Box mash up that incites the nastiest of comments from unidentifiable individuals over the internet. May cause intense online feuds, dishonesty, antagonization, embarrassment, tears, anger, frustration, depression, and if you aren't careful, death. Please use caution. Actually, please try not to use at all: We humans can't handle it. The Technology is far too great for our comprehension.

So here’s how it works: You ask people to ask you questions under an anonymous guise. If they’re playing you right, they’ll ask you really personal or insulting questions like: “Did you sleep with so and so in the tenth grade?” or “Why are you so ugly? Go Die,” or my favorite “Why don’t you get AIDS so you can lose weight?” (Oh, I had to chuckle at that one; that one was funny, but in a different sense).

Seems like fun right? No... well, kinda?

The truth is, no matter how tough or strong you think you are, some of these comments are almost too negative to think that this came from someone who you know.

And that’s the first problem with formspring; they know who you are, but you’re left in a dark cave with a wet match. (Yes, I got that from a SpongeBob Episode.) Metaphorically speaking, your in a fight with maybe 10-20 people at 3 AM; they're dressed in black, and you're blind. Go figure.

I wondered why this never happened with Twitter or Facebook’s Honesty Box. But think about it; they were too inconvenient. Now with this new-fangled thing, it’s like the second you answer questions about yourself, everyone can see them (Thanks to News Feed) and you’re waiting for the next question like a junkie waiting for their next fix.

This is the second problem with formspring; it shows the best and worst of humanity. Easily, you can tell that if an individual knew they wouldn’t be responsible for their words, every insult possible can appear in your formspring inbox. Sad, but true. People get creative. At the same time, however, you (the formspring owner) are able to witness sheer negative criticism at its best; you are able to control it, moderate it, and reject it. Nonetheless, all inhibition and care to caution is thrown to the wind at the expense of usually a genuinely good person just trying to be Socially Active.

But we we're not that innocent. (Oops!...I did it again...)

At the same time, I, along with other formspring "celebrities" asked for the spotlight. I mean there is an application where you click asking, begging, pleading for questions on other Social Networking sites like a two dollar prostitute standing on the corner of Flatbush and Nevins with a busted hell, fishnet stockings and a dress that don’t fit exactly right at 2 AM in the freezing cold of December. (Yet I digress.) I use the term "celebrities" for a reason. None of us have done anything worth praise (as much as your lovely questions have said), yet we ask for attention, and we get it in all forms, shapes and sizes. It's a very unhealthy habit.

Here's another problem: formspring takes trolling to a whole new level. At one point, there were just three or four people asking me similar lines of questions, many of which I knew weren't their own ideas; they were just out to annoy me. Questions ranged from asking about fruits, to horses on my bed, and one person even had a list of bulleted questions that he was too lazy to separate.

Do you take these questions personal? To some extent, they take a toll, even if you are completely secure with who you are. Death’s have even resulted because of formspring. People don’t know when to stop; or they do, and just want to break you. I won’t lie; when I first got negative questions, I felt bad. But, then I realized that this was my perfect opportunity:

If you were never the facsimile of your friends, a carbon copy of the reigning culture in your school, you may have experienced bullying for being too tall, or short, black or white, gay (although you had no idea what it meant at the time). I did, and as a kid, I was always too sensitive to respond to get them off my back. But now, after three and a half years of hardened High School life (Yes, I’m Hard, like the Rihanna Song), I learned that I can use these questions to my advantage. So I did.

You saw it. Some of the things I wrote were completely foreign to me. I finally learned to insult people back if they threw me a nasty look. People were shocked: Kwame Ocran said WHAT? (Yes, yes I did.) I was torn; I said really mean nasty things, but I also got to conquer my childhood foes manifested in several nameless individuals who I do see on a frequent basis (Yes, that means I know who you are. Be afraid. Be very afraid.)

What was intriguing about it, though, was that you may have been lucky enough to notice who's writing style graced your inbox. (Again, I know who you are.) Facebook is really good about showing a history and precedence of someone's method of typing. Not everyone is completely straightlaced when they make comments, and if you've been around them long enough (which I have, Thank Jesus!) you could tell in an instant who the person is. Whatever happened to, "Say it to my face!"

Formspring allowed people to be insulted because they asked for it. Such is the price for network fame.

Here's another problem: it promoted unnecessary bullying. In my opinion, bullying is a necessary evil, because it uses karma to elevate and depress those who are involved based on their actions. I became proud of myself in no small part due to bullying. Though Social Networking created artificial bullying in copious amounts, it also created bravery.

If you’re insulted online, say something back; what are they going to do? Hit you? All is fair in love, war, and social networking.

Fear is broken on formspring; if you noticed, times came when I did not hold back. (The power felt good.) But I do think it was too much for people to handle. We need a couple more years of maturing before we can really ask insightful deep questions without being rude, insensitive, and simply, disgusting.

As for me, I'm done with it, and I hope it dies its death without a struggle. I only came back for that last question that I knew was on everyone's minds: "Do you think you got into your schools because of your ethnicity and your sexuality?" WHY? JEALOUS? Lol! (Just Kidding...lol)

If you continue to use it, don't get mad when people insult you, you asked for it. If you insult people online, I suggest finding a hobby or speaking to the person in person. I do.

What I do hope for, however, is the change in our mentality that allows for respect of an individuals flaws and shortcomings and the cessation of our need to intrude into the private lives of public people. Then again, a boy can only dream.

But, I swear, if someone asks Delroy if he is a virgin one more time.... I'll just shake my head. Damn Formspring.