Facebook: A Total Waste Of Time?
I might be one of the few Facebook fans to say this, but Tom Hodgkinson is spot on.
You don’t need to read his entire article to fully grasp what he’s getting at because much of it reads like the rant of the local crazy guy, so here’s the gist of it: Instead of bringing us closer together, Facebook creates more barriers between us and socially interacting with our friends.
I guess I should backtrack here. I don’t think he’s entirely accurate in some of his assumptions and analysis and he thinks the forces behind Facebook are almost evil and morally corrupt. He even goes so far as to imply that there’s a vast rightwinged conspiracy of shadowy men who control Facebook and are using it to push their wacko agendas. But if you can overlook all of that, then you’ll see he’s kinda got a point.
And does Facebook really connect people? Doesn’t it rather disconnect us, since instead of doing something enjoyable such as talking and eating and dancing and drinking with my friends, I am merely sending them little ungrammatical notes and amusing photos in cyberspace, while chained to my desk? A friend of mine recently told me that he had spent a Saturday night at home alone on Facebook, drinking at his desk. What a gloomy image. Far from connecting us, Facebook actually isolates us at our workstations.
I can think of many instances where I rationalized not stopping by a friends house because I could simply message them on Facebook later on. Instead of calling people, I tend to poke them or write on their wall. In fact, I was once at a super crowded party and as I was leaving, I saw an acquaintance across the room. It would have taken me a few minutes to stop by and say hey, but instead I just messaged her on Facebook when I got home. Are any of these instances bad? I don’t know, but I certainly know they can’t be that good.
I guess it depends on how you end up using Facebook that defines whether or not it’s best for you. If instead of hanging out with your buddies or meeting new people in class you are surfing Facebook and messaging random strangers, you might want to reconsider how you use the site. Just like anything else, Facebook should be used in moderation and if you’ve let it become so ingrained in your life that you can’t go a few hours without checking it, then that certainly can’t be a good thing. I know personally, after reading this article a few days ago, I’ve only logged onto Facebook once or twice a day. And I must say, it’s been a bit refreshing.
So make sure you’ve found the perfect equilibrium for Facebook in your life. It’s great to have around to keep in touch with old friends and people scattered across the world. But maybe instead of poking your nearby friend or writing on his wall, why not stop by his place and hang out for a bit. You might find it’s a bit fun!
