top friends

i've been pondering something of the ridiculous today. aside from bringing trees into our homes, the idea of top friends has been on my mind lately. isn't it odd that the internet provides us through sites like facebook and myspace, the opportunity to rate our friends? most of my "top friends" in real life don't even have facebook! because in real life, my top friends would have to include my mommy and lucy.

while the idea of this makes me laugh a little, there is something more serious at stake. what is exchanged for the opportunity to have hundreds of "friends"? what does "top friends" really accomplish besides ego-boosting/tearing down?

now, i feel as though i must sound hypocritical for saying these things, because i do have a facebook account and even a myspace account (even though i rarely use it), but i think these sites are often used to encourage a focus on ourselves. i try to use them to keep in touch with people, but there is still the element of time-wasting self absorption. how do i look to other people? what does it say about me if she is my #1 friend?

i feel like this is almost like a medication that i'm self-administering. and just like a medication, i'm constantly asking myself the question: does the benefit outweigh the risk? i'm still in the process of answering that...

is the benefit of keeping in touch with people worth the temptation to have an inward focus and compare myself to others?