Facebook. Majority of us have one. I'm writing about this because I've considered it as my topic for my first paper this semester. Facebook has not only become a social network for all college students, but a bit of an obsession for most. I'm not here to "dis" facebook or talk like it's a bad thing. Partly, because unfortunately I may consider myself to be one of those who have found facebook to be more than just a social network. Facebook has been popular for several years but lately it seems to be growing rapidly. The social network started with myspace then to facebook.
Let's talk about the pros and cons of Facebook. The biggest advantage is the ability to connect with people. By the click of a button, you are reunited with an old friend or classmate. Does it get much better than that? Facebook allows you to have your own profile including friends, pictures, videos, and links. At any point you are allowed to answer the question, "What's on your mind?" I'd say some people take this to a whole other level. Yes, I love Facebook but you won't find me updating my status every hour of every day. Which brings me to a "con" of Facebook. There is a point where I believe people should ask themselves this question: "Do people honestly care about what I have to say right now?" Some people would be surprised of how often the answer is "no."
Another "pro" of Facebook would be the ability to follow your favorite artist, show, sports team, etc. Facebook has Fan pages for each allowing you to "like" that page, updating their upcoming shows and games in your News Feed. On a more personal level, this social network allows people to find people they gave up hope on finding. We've all heard the stories of the people that have found their kids, or parents. I have gotten connected with my grandparents that live in California. Even though, I'm not able to see them often, Facebook allows us to talk and share pictures. I also have personally experienced the greatest advantage of Facebook, meeting new people. If it wasn't for Facebook, I wouldn't have met the man of my dreams! (a.k.a my boyfriend)
On to the "cons" of Facebook. It's a distraction, end of story. This assignment for instance, I don't know how many times I've left this page to check my Facebook. I could easily bet that a lot of other college students could agree with me. It's a habit to just check it, look around and see what everyone else is up to, anything to keep me from doing my homework. With the help of technology, most everyone has access to Facebook through their iphones or smartphones, not helping the distraction when it comes to homework time!
Well, this has been my little rant on the Pros and Cons of Facebook. Thank you all for reading & I hope you enjoyed!:)
I have to agree with you. Facebook can be a lot of fun, but at the same time it is a huge distraction. I can't remember where I found it, but somewhere I watched a news video about how "liking" a page on Facebook can ultimately expose your personal information. I'm not sure how accurate it was, but if you happened to find it, it would definitely give you another con. Good luck with your paper :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your blog. I think that facebook is good communication tool with friends and family, but I don't use facebook much as you. facebook is not popular in Japan, so my Japanese friends don't use it.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest complaint about Facebook is that it is also a huge distraction. I have decided to completely sign out when I'm trying to do an assignment. It's a hard habit to break!
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I have decided to not have facebook accounts. I can see that it would be a good place to look up some old friends but I have seen how addictive it is to some people. Also some of my friends that use it dont have much for public social interactions, they would rather sit in front of their computer.
ReplyDeleteI do have a Facebook, but I can say I am not addicted. I bascially use it for communication with my family and friends that live out of state. However, I do not know how many of my Facebook friends update his or her status multiple times a day. Facebook can be very addictive for some people, especially when they are online working on as assignment.
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