No One Wants To Look Like A Creeper

Ok, so I dig social media. I really do. Being able to reconnect with family, friends, and even a long lost teacher is great. There is one thing I'm not sure of, however. Crossing paths with a face from Facebook in the real world.

Exactly when is it ok, if ever, to acknowledge someone that you instantly exchange looks of familiarity with, but only 'know' because of Facebook? This has happened a few times over the years. I can think of one person in particular; we aren't friends, but we have a fair amount of mutual friends. It is clear, from the real world looks of recognition, that we are familiar with one another. I would venture a guess that our realization of exactly where and how we know one another might be what limits further interaction. Despite the random conversations and friendly smiles reserved for greeting friends, we still continue to stay stuck in some sort of denial or unwillingness to just admit we only know the other from someone's Facebook page.

Normally, I have no issue with social norms, but the whole Facebook thing throws me. I mean if we were friends on the big-blue-and-white-addiction-maker site that would be one thing, but we only share mutual friends. It seems there is an unspoken line between wanting to clear up awkwardness and not wanting to cause it by looking like you troll your friends' friend's pages. Of course, I am undoubtedly overthinking this.

I suppose that, should I cross paths with this person again (or any one else in a like situation), I ought to just address the obvious, without worrying how it could look. I mean, if we are all honest about it, there is a bigger likelihood we indirectly interact with a number of people we wouldn't normally when we comment, like, and post to our own friends pages. It really isn't so odd that we might run into someone we don't actually know, but do recognize in the real world. The broad reach the internet and social media sites give us exposes us to far more people than we would ever meet without the two. And now I'm just rambling...