Emily Sanchez

English 2

Ms. Musachia

April 06, 2019

Hey, It’s My Birthday

Dear Reader,

It's not really my birthday and maybe it's not your birthday either, but if it is then happy

birthday! Anyways, even though it's neither one of our birthdays, there might be someone out of

the 7.7 billion people on this earth whose actual birthday is today. Now, we have to decide how

we would like to wish them a happy birthday. You're probably thinking that we can maybe post

something online or comment on their birthday status that has just updated today. But, what if we

sent a nice text or how about give them a call, or let's get even more crazy, what about sending a

birthday card?

Today's society doesn't appreciate the etiquette of saying happy birthday anymore.

Before, people used to actually remember it was your birthday (sometimes even by memory) and

they would tell you happy birthday, whether if it was in person, a call, or at least a small text

message, they didn't need some app to remind them that it’s someone's birthday. Nowadays,

people get a notification from an app and then post a picture with a small caption that has a

couple of meaningful words, so that everybody can see and give a like. Furthermore, in an

article by Inc.,Why I Stopped Saying Happy Birthday on Facebook (and Why You Might Want

To), it says “Birthdays, along with other special occasions, have become a bit of a profit

center for Facebook.” It’s not even about saying nice, personal words anymore, it’s about

making money now. Whenever it's my birthday, I prefer for people to text me personally, instead
of replying back to that Facebook birthday status that automatically notifies people with

whoever's birthday it is for the day. It makes me feel more special and important, which is

something everyone wants to feel, especially on your birthday. It is important for you to care

about how you say happy birthday to someone and what you say because who knows, that

simple birthday wish could save a person's life.

Wishing someone a happy birthday one on one is more meaningful. In a way, you could

say it's even more considerate. Wouldn't it matter more to you if someone that you actually cared

about sent you a long paragraph, telling you how special you are and how much they care about

you, compared to random strangers posting on your Facebook wall a "HBD"? In better words

said by the article, "Has Social Media Taken Away the Joy of Birthdays", from East Coast

Radio, it says "HBD or HB2U is out, Acronyms when it comes to birthdays are a no-go. It's

almost as though you didn't have the time to even write out the birthday message in full.

Not cool." Now there is nothing wrong with telling someone happy birthday on social media,

but according to the Odyssey article, "Don't Say ‘Happy Birthday' Unless You Mean It", "A

stranger's wish can give you a momentary feeling of happiness, but in the end, it doesn't

matter. Don't make the mistake of placing value on the multitude of wall-posts you receive

on your birthday." There are certain things that when one says, they should actually mean. For

example, the words "I love you" are very intimate and powerful words. Since these words are so

powerful you don't say it to everyone, only the people that you really mean it to. Well, why can't

we treat saying "happy birthday" the same way? When you truly mean saying the words "happy

birthday", it should be more than a birthday post on someone's page, it could be presented in a

hug, a gift, taking them out to dinner, a phone call, or a text. At the end of the day, do you even

truly care about the person you wish happy birthday to on Facebook?
 Remembering one's birthday is more personal as well. When you can remember

someone's birthday it can really prove to that person that you actually care about them. Once you

remember that person's birthday you could even start traditions with them. These traditions can

become something personal over time. "In this category my sister gets the blue ribbon,

calling me first thing on my birthday morning to repeat a ritual from our now late

grandmother: "Special delivery for you," she starts off, before singing "Happy Birthday"

wildly off-key. I love it, but I get it that not everybody is going to do this" (Steven Petrow).

This short example proves multiple things. First, the author feels a lot of joy from receiving a

call from his sister, not some comment on his birthday status that updated all of his friends that it

was his birthday. Second, his sister remembered his birthday and takes time out of her day to

give her brother a call and sings the birthday song for him. Imagine if the author's sister would

have just posted a "throwback" picture and said a few kind words. But, she didn't, this is their

tradition and it's intimate, special, unique, and personal.

The real question is, why do we post about how much we care about someone on their

birthday online? When did texting someone on their birthday become so wrong? Believe it or

not, but there actually was a time when people wouldn't post "birthday post" at all. It wasn't this

big event that had to be made public to the whole world. In an article by the daily dot, "I'm Not

Sorry I Didn't Wish You a Happy Birthday On Facebook," it says, "The worst of it is when

you're actually close to a person—your best friend, your wife, your brother. Just look back

at that "best big bro a bro can have" message up above. It's meaningless chaff presented

publicly for no reason whatsoever." It seems that people feel this need to share personal

information, like your birthday, with the world. There shouldn't be this social obligation to tell

someone "happy birthday" online.

 In conclusion, birthdays are something special that comes around once a year. They

shouldn't be this big thing that the whole world needs to know about. Birthdays are the time

where people that care about you and you care about can say how special you are to them. Of

course, it's not the only time you can tell someone how much you care about them, but if you're

closed off like me, telling someone "Happy birthday" is a big thing. Remember, "Birthdays are

special. We shouldn't just treat them as an obligation for six seconds worth of online

communication. Sending positive vibes shouldn't be some robotic chore that we do just

because a website reminded us" (Jason Kessler). The next time you get the opportunity to tell

someone happy birthday, use it to your advantage and give them a call or send them a text and

tell them a couple of special words while you're at it. Your birthday wish could save someone's

life.

Thank you,

Emily Sanchez