I wonder.
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Facebook has been on my mind lately. I wonder what it is that leads us to “friend” everyone we have ever known and sometimes those we do not know. I have a “friends” list that includes 317 people. I know nearly every individual in the list, sure, but I can count on one, maybe two, hands the number of people on the list with whom I stay in touch.
It boggles my mind what it is that draws us to read status updates and continue to add family, friends, or acquaintances when we do not have intentions, time, or energy to keep in touch via e-mail, mail, messaging, or phone, or in person (imagine that, interacting in person!). We may now and again, at best, reply to someone’s status update on our “friends list” or write something on their “wall,” sure, but actually interact and keep on touch on a more than superficial level?
I understand that Facebook is a social networking site and networking means to stretch one’s circle; however, how many of us actually use it to network? Most use it, at least initially, to stay in touch with family and friends (from my experience). In the end though most of us get lost in the never ending cycle of adding more and more acquaintances, friends, and family members, until we have more people on our “friends list” than we can ever hope to keep in touch with. I am simply confounded by this Facebook phenomenon.
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Tags: Facebook, Micro-blogging, Online Communities, Social network
November 20th, 2009 at 4:07 am
For me, Facebook is about keeping up with what everyone I know is doing, and no, not all 300 of them. I have to admit that I hide certain people (not you) and I wonder why are they even my “friend” at all?
November 20th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Eh, I don’t use it to actually network. I think LinkedIn’s more appropriate for that. I do use facebook to connect primarily with friends that live far away, people who were NEVER good at writing (remember, for years I wrote letters weekly to many friends) – and have never been good at email. I’m thankful for it, because it gives me and my long-distance friends a nice way to stay in touch, even if it is in very small ways.
But then again, I don’t have billions of friends. :) My friends are a true reflection of my circles, I think. I move in fairly small ones, but I enjoy them. I also love reading status messages from my grad school friends, who are always funny and entertaining.
Happy Birthday, too! I know we haven’t stayed very well in touch, but our lives move in such different directions these days. I do like seeing bits of what you’re up to via Facebook, even if it’s such small ways and not truly representative of your real life. I’m excited to know you met someone special! (And btw, I really miss following you on twitter.)
November 25th, 2009 at 7:20 am
I use FB to leave, and to read, funny statuses. I really don’t care about networking. I enjoy the entertainment value of posting a silly status and waiting to see if it gets any responses at all…