The Facebook Birthday Message: What Does it Mean?

October 15, 2007     Posted in Reality

23715636.jpgI recently celebrated a birthday. It came and went as all birthdays do.


By CC Staff

There were some presents given and drinks were drunk and my mom even called to sing me a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday.”

However, I noticed this a year a disturbing trend I hadn’t seen in years past: The ever so casual Facebook birthday message…which is both really typical and totally impersonal.

I must say that while it was totally nice to see my comment page fully loaded with birthday wishes I had to remember that not every single one of my friends had dutifully remembered my special day. Facebook had kindly reminds everyone that I am connected with my birthday was coming up.

I find this to be a good reminder tool, but friends should not rely totally on the Facebook birthday wish. A card would be nice kids, or even a phone call. My address and number do happen to be listed right on my profile.

The Facebook birthday wish only says, “I feel an obligation to post on your birthday that I didn’t remember, but I have no time to do anything else.”

Lame, kids. Really really lame.

So, as an experiment, next year in the month or so prior to my big day, I’m planning on removing my birthday from my page and see exactly who remembers. I know some of them will, and the ones who don’t I now have more information on.

I am imploring all of you to do the same.

The five year old inside of me has decided to come out, and she doesn’t want a dozen Facebook comments. She wants presents, lots and lots of presents.

6 Comments on "The Facebook Birthday Message: What Does it Mean?"

  1. Casey says:
    Mon, 15th Oct 20072:58 pm 

    I agree with L. I have my close group of friends and even some acquaintances that remember my birthday every year, but I don't expect everyone on my Facebook friends list to remember my birthday. It's nice that people you rarely if ever talk to make at least that little effort to leave you a birthday wish. There's at least one birthday a day on my Facebook homepage and I know I'm not going to take the effort to send a card or make a phone call every day of the year, or remember hundreds of birthdays of people I've met maybe once or twice and only say hi to every now and again, so I don't expect anyone to do that either. I'm completely satisfied with my barrage of superficial "Happy Birthday's".

  2. L says:
    Mon, 15th Oct 20075:12 pm 

    hmm… i kind of think some/ a lot people are bad at remembering birthdays, especially during the school year and you’re busy with a million other things. i would advise against this course of action. haha :)

  3. Jesse says:
    Thu, 30th Oct 200812:22 pm 

    I completely agree. Maybe we should remove our birthdays. I think I will. Haha.

  4. Kinmond says:
    Fri, 31st Jul 200911:23 am 

    i understand what you are saying but when a person has as many friends as most people on facebook do, it is impossible to remember when each persons birthday is.

  5. Loz says:
    Tue, 2nd Mar 20101:32 am 

    i think this is a rediculous idea. I have trouble enough remembering when my families birthdays are, let alone every one of my friends, but it doesnt mean i don't care about them! to be sending a card to every friend you have on facebook each time its their birthday is rediculous, epecially if you dont have a lot of time on your hands. I think of the facbook birthday thing as a digital calendar, much like one that you hang on your wall, is cheating to have one of those as well???

  6. lucy says:
    Sat, 17th Apr 20101:57 am 

    I agree!!! Those Facebook birthday wishes are so superficial!! And I bet most people do just write them because they feel obliged to – I know when I used to engage in the behaviour of posting them to everyone, it would be like "*sigh* another "friend" requiring birthday wishes" and I'd quickly post something just to alleviate guilt.

    I already have my birthday hidden from Facebook for that reason :) – to see who actually remembers! It's quite likely that no one on Facebook will remember haha.

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