How much is too much?

I have a hard time knowing how to balance real life with the internet world.

Maybe balance isn't the right word.  Connect might be better.

Regardless of proper vocab, I'm just not sure.

First, there's the issue of people knowing what's going on in my life.  Between Facebook, blogging, Twitter, and the mostly abandoned Myspace, there are a multitude of options of ways to stalk get updates.

The same is true for keeping track of others.  With well over 500 Facebook friends, I see updates for people I don't really know.

My favorite is when people get engaged or married.  I'll read through comments people have left them or scroll through pictures.

It doesn't matter that our interactions were limited to one class project or meeting, I still want to know.  Or at least look at pretty pictures.

The lines between all these different technologies and outlets seemed to become more blurry everyday.  Maybe someone texts or Facebooks me in response to a blog. Then I respond to a tweet.  And they call.  And so on and so on...

It's confusing, I tell you.

All this online interaction and information sharing can lead to an anti-climatic real life.

Maybe you haven't seen or spoke to a good friend in days, but they update their status so often you know exactly what they've had for breakfast.

Whenever a person has some story or update to give me that I already know about via internet, I'm faced with the dilemma of how to react.

Surprise?  Consternation?  Shock?  Amusement?  Or do I just interrupt and tell them I already know.

Every once in a while I wish life could be a little more simple, but then I spend half an hour stalking checking on friends on Facebook and forget all about that.