Facebook. What started as a way for college friends to keep in touch has quickly morphed into America’s favourite pastime. And really, who needs baseball when you can easily keep abreast of current affairs, an eye on the score of the game, and the current relationship status of your ex-best friend from high school, all in one neat little package of a website?
For as much as we extol the virtues of Facebook, it’s got a sly little evil side as well:
It’s made us a society of approved stalkers
Stalking has never been so socially acceptable, and even revered, as it is now that we have Facebook. Checking up on people we haven’t that we haven’t talked to since grade school isn’t creepy or weird in the least; it’s just what we affectionately refer to as “Facebook stalking”. Everybody does it. Everybody loves it. And everyone is comfortable with the fact that even though you may not have seen or talked to someone in ten years you could easily strike up a conversation with them about their lives because you follow them on Facebook.
It’s made us social media addicts
These days we aren’t even satisfied with stalking people on just Facebook. Oh no, now we follow them on not only Facebook, but also Twitter, Pinterest, personal blogs… and the list continues to grow as more social media platforms develop. We’re obsessed with keeping up with every status update and tweet that people send out. Half the time we read the same thing three and four times because we subscribe to every social media platform we can to follow people on… and we love it.
It’s made us think we’re deserving of wasting time online
How many times a day do you sit at work crossing things off your to-do list and then suddenly think “ah, I’ve accomplished two things so far today… I deserve a break to check Facebook”. Since we do we reward ourselves with a break to check up on people? Since Facebook entered our lives and became the focal point of it. Which is a little sad…
It’s become a way of life
You’re at the bar and someone wants your number, so what do you say? Find me on Facebook. A friend starts to tell you about an event she was at. Your response? Oh I saw it on Facebook. Facebook, Facebook, FacebookFacebookFacebook… We do everything on Facebook. Eaves drop on any conversation and it’s likely that Facebook will come up shortly.
It’s made us become obsessed with capturing people’s attention
You can easily gauge how popular a post is by the number of likes it receives or the number of comments people leave on it. Before you know it you’re obsessively logging in to check if your post has garnered new attention, and if it hasn’t you’re actively thinking of what else you can post that will reel in more comments the next time around.
Ah Facebook. The website we love to live our lives through. But Facebook harbors a dirty little secret about us:
We’re much more interested in posting our lives online then we are in actually living them.
What do you think? Has the evil side of Facebook affected your social life as well?
June 8, 2012 at 10:32 am
Absolutely correct, but I think the feeling is wearing off with people, at least some of them, myself included. I was guilty of checking it all the time, and after a while it became much more exciting to do other stuff.
I think this is part of the reason the IPO has been such a flop. Unless something dramatic happens Facebook has found it’s peak growth and people will tire of it just like they did with MySpace.
June 8, 2012 at 11:04 am
Jeremy, I agree that Facebook might have found it’s peak with 900 million people. The constant flux of changes does not help. FB is fast becoming too complicated and that’s why networks such as Twitter are beginning to close up.
June 8, 2012 at 12:34 pm
You’re right about that. Change for the sake of change rarely pleases your core audience.
June 12, 2012 at 4:53 pm
Researchers are expecting the age of facebook to be maximum of 2015.
June 8, 2012 at 10:26 pm
While I haven’t let it run my life, not even close, I know too many people who spend up to 15 minutes per hour every day on FB. That IS their life, albeit a virtual life. It is nearly their true source of being. FB is convenient, it’s engaging, and it is not too far from a drug that people are needing hourly. Thanks for exposing America’s second “love life.”
June 12, 2012 at 4:51 pm
I’m do appreciate your comment. I know that facebook is not a drug but it is acting like a drug mostly for youngsters. They spend almost hours & hours engaging themselves in facebook. I’m not against facebook neither in favor of .