the reluctant return to Facebook
I was pretty much FORCED to re-join Facebook for a new job I started this week.
Going back to it, I realize I really, really did not miss Facebook at all. I'm tolerating it now only for research purposes and the faint hope of contributing something useful to my organization. But the more I was exploring all the 'group' options, the more I wanted to log out of there ASAP.
I've been trying to figure out what bothers me so much about Facebook (aside from my acknowledged perverse distrust of anything that "everyone" seems to be doing--like reading The Purpose Driven Life, or even (!) listening to Tim Keller sermons for starters).
I read one reflection today that argues Facebook breeds jealousy. Jealously of the fabulous life of others as evidenced through their photos, the number of friends they have, the number of wall writings etc. Another issue is the self-absorption it can promote. All the status updates, all the newsfeeds, all the running commentary re. who wrote on whose wall, who gave who what gift blah blah blah can make us feel like we're the star of our own online reality show. And isn't it a problem if people start favoring their online lives to their offline one? I don't know! I don't know! I'm just telling it like I read it.
To be fair, people say, and I can sorta agree, that Facebook CAN be a great way to network, keep in touch, keep friendships alive. It's fun, it's a great time-waster and the photo options are handy.
But I hate hate hate hearing that this kind of social interaction is the wave of the future or that it's the only way we're going to stay connected to one another. Why? Maybe because I kinda feel it's a lazy-ass, low-risk way of "staying connected." Maybe it's because I think, if there is really no other way to keep in touch with 8 gajillion friends all over the country and world, then maybe we weren't meant to have really connected friendships with 8 gajillion friends all over the country and world.
Anyway, I don't know what my problem is. Maybe I'm silly for questioning something so seemingly beneficial to humanity? Or MAYBE it's healthy and necessary to question something so pervasive? I don't know!
Going back to it, I realize I really, really did not miss Facebook at all. I'm tolerating it now only for research purposes and the faint hope of contributing something useful to my organization. But the more I was exploring all the 'group' options, the more I wanted to log out of there ASAP.
I've been trying to figure out what bothers me so much about Facebook (aside from my acknowledged perverse distrust of anything that "everyone" seems to be doing--like reading The Purpose Driven Life, or even (!) listening to Tim Keller sermons for starters).
I read one reflection today that argues Facebook breeds jealousy. Jealously of the fabulous life of others as evidenced through their photos, the number of friends they have, the number of wall writings etc. Another issue is the self-absorption it can promote. All the status updates, all the newsfeeds, all the running commentary re. who wrote on whose wall, who gave who what gift blah blah blah can make us feel like we're the star of our own online reality show. And isn't it a problem if people start favoring their online lives to their offline one? I don't know! I don't know! I'm just telling it like I read it.
To be fair, people say, and I can sorta agree, that Facebook CAN be a great way to network, keep in touch, keep friendships alive. It's fun, it's a great time-waster and the photo options are handy.
But I hate hate hate hearing that this kind of social interaction is the wave of the future or that it's the only way we're going to stay connected to one another. Why? Maybe because I kinda feel it's a lazy-ass, low-risk way of "staying connected." Maybe it's because I think, if there is really no other way to keep in touch with 8 gajillion friends all over the country and world, then maybe we weren't meant to have really connected friendships with 8 gajillion friends all over the country and world.
Anyway, I don't know what my problem is. Maybe I'm silly for questioning something so seemingly beneficial to humanity? Or MAYBE it's healthy and necessary to question something so pervasive? I don't know!
posted by Duncan and Jen | 4:33 PM
2 Comments:
I like Facebook mostly because it's almost like having an auto-updating address book. That and being able to share content you make (like videos, photos, music tracks, etc) with everybody easily is nice too. But definitely liking that it's an easy way to always be able to reach someone if they change their email address or physical address. And it's nice to find old friends who you thought you lost and suddenly be able to start emailing them again. And the interface isn't as clunky as MySpace nor are there anywhere as near as much spammers.
i admit. i never used to use facebook much. but now, i use it to play scrabble online with my family in Toronto - i think it's the only way i interact with my cousins. Otherwise, i probably wouldn't at all. in that respect, i value facebook.
however, you mention an interesting point about jealousy. i notice that it's also a way for people to snoop around. your privacy is almost completely lost. now, when you go to a social event, if one of your friends has a camera, that photo is going to find it's way to facebook and before you know it, your picture is going to be tagged and everyone on facebook will be notified. something about that makes me uneasy.
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