Facebook. What is Facebook? By definition Facebook is a social media network that allows us humans to connect and re-connect. Let us dig a little deeper and discuss some of the positive and negative qualities Facebook possesses.
"Think about what people are doing on Facebook today. They're keeping up with their friends and family, but they're also building an image and identity for themselves, which in a sense is their brand. They're connecting with the audience that they want to connect to. It's almost a disadvantage if you're not on it now-"Mark Zuckerberg (www.brainyquote.com) Lets start the Facebook chat on a positive note. Facebook (as we all know) is a great way to stay connected. You can stay in-touch with whomever you wish. Having a father who was in the military for 32 years I have lived and experienced so many different places. When I finally got a Facebook account I was able to re-connect with so many old friends that I have not talk to in years, thanks to Facebook! If it wasn't for Facebook I don't think I would have been able to re-connect with all the old friends that I have. So in the communicating department Facebook is a really helpful tool. Another positive quality about Facebook is that it’s great to use for promoting. Many of my favorite authors or bands use Facebook to reach out to fans, sell merchandise, and just keep you up to date about what’s happening. For example one of my favorite things to do on Facebook is to like pages, and this is something I’ve recently discovered. And when I say "liking pages" I'm not talking about randomly going around Facebook and liking every page I see. I'm talking about finding things that I’m really interested in and using Facebook as a way to grow that interest, which is really neat! One day I typed in the word "Facebook, and positive" into Google and then Google loaded all these Facebook pages that have daily positive quotes and promote positivity. Personally speaking I like to read positive quote it puts me in a good mindset and it helps me tackle the day, usually I just onto Pinterest or Tumblr to get my daily motivational fill but now I’ve discovered Facebook pages that are all about positive vibes. And I thought that was really sweet to have entire Facebook pages focused on positive encouragement. You always hear so many horror stories in the media about Facebook it's nice to see some good. Now people don't just use Facebook to promote music or good vibes, people also use it to promote their businesses. In the article "Pros and Cons of Facebook "written by Barbara. J. Feldman she stated "Companies and individuals use Facebook to promote their companies and services. If you have a charity event, Facebook is the way to get people to connect with you and hopefully support it. Facebook has a lot of opportunities for self-promotion, making it a great outlet for anyone that really needs to find clients and to get supporters."(Feldman) It's so funny and intriguing to watch social media transform and re-define itself. It's like watching a kid grow and develop.
Okay, well it was nice to stroll on the positive path but now its time to switch gears! Lets discuss the negatives of Facebook.
One negative reason concerning Facebook problem buzzing around is many people today are talking about how Facebook can be bad for you. In an article written by the economist they discussed how Facebook can make an individual feel unsatisfied with their life. "Past investigations have found that using Facebook is associated with jealousy, social tension, isolation and depression."(Economist) According to a study recorded by the Economist “an earlier investigation, conducted by social scientists at Humboldt University and Darmstadt’s Technical University, both in Germany, may have found the root cause. These researchers, who presented their findings at a conference in Leipzig in February, surveyed 584 users of Facebook aged mostly in their 20s. They found that the most common emotion aroused by using Facebook is envy. Endlessly comparing themselves with peers who have doctored their photographs, amplified their achievements and plagiarized their bons mots can leave Facebook’s users more than a little green-eyed. Real-life encounters, by contrast, are more WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get)”(economist) This article I found very interesting, I have never thought that Facebook could lead to depression, but I understand the idea of how it could. Here is he link if you would like the check it out http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21583593-using-social-network-seems-make-people-more-miserable-get-life
One other negative connotation that comes from Facebook is that it makes you obsessive. I mean it is very addicting; Facebook does have an addictive quality. You mean to go on there for a second to update your status then all the sudden you’ve been on there for 30 minutes and it’s like what the heck! Where did the time go?? And for example say that you have a crush on someone and you two are Facebook friends, you now have unlimited access to his profile, you can view it, stare at it, obsess at it all you want. It’s a weird thought knowing that someone could be on your profile right now…staring at you…
Here’s my two cents on this Facebook “effect” I think that Facebook can be a good and fun thing. It’s a great way to stay in touch and its fun to see what your friends and loved ones are up to. I do also think people should never over due anything! Ice cream is a good thing but eat too much of it and you might become lactose intolerant. Every thing in moderation is a phrase I strongly believe in.
Cited Sources:
"Facebook Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2014
"Pros and Cons of Facebook." Tech Tips RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2014
"Get a Life!" The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 17 Aug. 2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2014
Awesome post, you made a lot of good points. I would just disagree on how the researchers say that facebook causes depression. I do believe that facebook can tear a person apart IF they let it. I sometimes feel like if a person is that upset because of things they see on facebook, then they might not be ready for it and should focus more on socializing in person and more calmer situations. Also it is the facebook users decision what people they add and what pages to follow so if someone or something is upsetting you then block them. Regardless, great job, I enjoyed reading this.
ReplyDeleteHi Kate! You made some very good points in your post even some that kind of made me think about it again to see another side of it that other people use. I agree with the whole communication thing, I do believe that it is a great tool for keeping in contact with people who you may not get to talk to as much as you would like. I love your point about over doing something, which is definitely a moto in my life because you always need a balance and moderation with anything you come across. However im just not convinced that there are more positives than negatives when it comes down to everything. Ive been off Facebook for about a year now and i have people that i havent talked to in a couple of years. So you would think that if someone who actually knows you pretty well that if they needed to talk with you they could just pick up the telephone and call. But some don't and thats where you tell your real friends from the "fake" ones. Maybe im just a little too old school because i believe a person to person conversation is way more valuable then just a poke on Facebook or even a message back and forth. Oh and by the way you can never have to much ice cream!
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