Today I read a very interesting article about Facebook. The article addresses the benefits of this social network. What interested me was the way in which the users of this site created a social community. They used Facebook as a social register, as a way to stay in contact with friends from high school,and they used it to create a loose network of new friends. The article also suggests that Facebook use adds to the psychological well-being of the users.
OK, now I have to say that Facebook does not give me a sense of well-being. In fact whenever I go there I begin to feel guilty that I am not rersponding in the same way as some of my contacts. When they send me gifts and nudges and write on my wall I just feel weird and I feel worse if I have to use the ignore button. I feel as if this social utility is telling me how to relate to my friends. And even more, that I would not be even in this type of relationship willingly. I have friends on that site who have revealed the most astoundingly intimate stuff; and I have somebody who invited me to become a vampire the other day. I know its meant to be in fun, and maybe I am being too straight here, but please.
I am reasonably happy with my relationships and friendships – I admit that my life is not perfect but I seem to get sufficient stimulus and support from my real time, real life community. That makes me feel weird too. Because according to this article most college students depend heavily on Facebook to keep and make friends. The joining of virtual groups is good, but what if you do not want to join groups, does that make you an interloper on the site. Obviously, I am a reluctant user. I have friends who are non-users for reasons having to do with privacy and time. Apparently most of the users studied in this report used Facebook for at least 20 minutes every day!! If I was using Facebook that often, as well as using my hotmail, and messenger, and doing my on-line homework and research – when would I have time to say read a book, go for a walk, talk to my room mate, you know – life. Anyway, good article and very eye-opening – look for it.
Ellison, Nicole B., Steinfield, Charles, Lampe, Cliff. The Benefits of Facebook Friends: Social Capital and College Students Use of Online Social Network Sites. Department of Telecommunications, Information Studies, and Media. Michigan State University. In Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 12 (2007). 1143-1168. International Communication Association.
Tags: new media experiences
October 26, 2007 at 5:02 pm
i know what you mean about guilt. it’s funny, people seem to use facebook as a weird re-connecting device, even with people they were never that close to before. i had a girl from my high school try to add me to her friend’s list. i denied it because we never really liked each other or got along at all. a few days later she sent me a snippy little note about it.
October 26, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Yeah I am feeling really uncomfortable by this process of dealing with people I do not even know who will be offended if I deny their contact. Its sort of creepy if you ask me. Anyhow my room mate says there is a way to get rid of that stuff without the people knowing and he said he would show me how. I will keep you posted (ha ha) By the way, excellent post to the forum I am a little intimidated by your excellent perspective on technological culture, good work.