Facebook or face to face?

As I first read the article, there were many things that I found easy to agree with. I was a holdout for a long time, so I understand where he is coming from when he talks about people who are resisting the lure of Facebook. I can see how he feels that intellectual stimulation is more important than staring at a meaningless screen for extended periods of time. But like he says, there isn’t any real reason to avoid Facebook anymore. I eventually joined just like many others did, because it was the easiest way to connect with friends. Facebook has become almost like carrying a cell phone; everyone just expects you to be included and it’s the newest, fastest way to connect with people. I also agree that Facebook is a very unaggressive way to approach people. You don’t have the worries associated with face to face conversation, and there is a certain level of privacy that people have no way of breaching. I can see why some people avoid Facebook claiming that it is too much work. I was first turned off from it for the same reason, and so was my own mother. However, once I entered the site I found that it was very easy to navigate and explain to my mother. So, even to a technologically disinclined woman such as herself my mother has become more and more excited with the site. There is a certain sense of awkwardness in dealing with what friends to keep, but I also believe that the same awkwardness applies to physical interaction if not in a more acute way. Personally, I am very shy around new people when making face to face encounters, but on Facebook none of the same stresses apply. Also, I don’t find myself sucked into the site as much as other people. I only check my profile when I get emails about things that have changed. That means I could check it 2-3 times a week, or not for 2-3 weeks at a time. When I am on Facebook, I find it very easy to socialize with the people I chose. Even with the messenger option, I don’t have to converse with people I don’t want to. I have the power to control the socialization, and if I even want to contact anyone. This doesn’t make people introverted as much as it actually fosters connections out in the real world. People make plans to meet in real places, and meet new people just by using the web site. I think it’s a major advance in today’s social connection.

In contrast, when I read the article a second time I found a few holes in his key arguments. First, I believe that his perception is skewed. In reference to the quote from the Onion, “Area Man Constantly mentioning he doesn’t own a television” when he states that he isn’t an elitist, I believe he’s just self-indulgently boosting his own ego. He obviously thinks he’s superior to people who watch television because he reads Proust. Anyone who wants to state for others’ knowledge that sculpting and reading lofty authors is more important than staring at an “idiot box” is extremely pretentious in their assumptions. There are many intelligent things that can be found on television for those who wish to take the time to view them. Second, there are many people who have strong personal reasons not to join an online social network. Despite the security precautions, people have their worries that they could be stalked or their financial identities put at risk. Additionally, many people chose not to carry a cell phone not to make a statement but because they had no need to carry one and they didn’t care if they weren’t “in the now”. The same principle applies to people and online social networks. For many professionals, Facebook is too geared toward college students and a younger group of people. It doesn’t have the features that apply to their circle of social interactions. Another fault is to assume that most people only check the Facebook page only once or twice a week. Most people I know who use it, even my mother, find time to check their Facebook pages 2-3 even up to 9-10 times daily. Whether it’s to update their status or post pictures, it’s available from cell phones too so people always have the urge and opportunity to check on their pages. I think it draws people even further into the internet and their own homes. They find it easier to communicate over the internet than to develop real relationships with people. People have become too concerned with what others post about their lives online instead of living their own lives.