If Facebook were a country, it would be the fifth largest country in the world. With over 350 million users and counting, its popularity in culture cannot be denied. I myself go on Facebook at least once a day and has become a tool for not only keeping up with friends and communicating but for procrastinating as well. The ritual of logging onto Facebook, checking for notifications, looking at recent posts from friends, and updating a status has become an everyday routine just like getting dressed or eating breakfast. The importance we all place on this internet community is huge—we have to have the right profile picture, we have to untag unflattering photos, and serious drama unfolds with every de-friending. Facebook has taken normal conversations and interactions and brought them online to the virtual community, and literally our profile pages have become “extensions of ourselves” as McLuhan observed. Facebook has shaped and controlled our everyday interactions outside of the virtual community—drama which unfolds on Facebook shows up in real conversations and vice versa. We literally live two lives that are intertwined by the internet and this social networking site. The social experience has been heightened even further than the cell phone, internet, radio, and television and together all these mediums create a network of instant connections, which is exactly what our culture is focused on. The ‘instant factor’ is very important in our modern day culture, and Facebook provides the perfect opportunity to communicate. We as a culture have become so absorbed in our own lives as well as the lives of others, and no longer look at Facebook as ‘just another website’, but instead view it as a means of communication equal to face-to-face conversation or talking on the phone.
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ReplyDeleteGreat blog post! The description of Facebook is completely accurate. It is indeed a reality that Facebook has provided people with an opportunity to make an extension of themselves in a virtual world. Facebook is a place where millions of people have decided to display information about themselves for many people to see. Yes, this does mean that Facebook provides a world full of unnecessary quarrels and arguments. It also provides a world where people can stay connected. Facebook has provided people with a place to express their personal identities.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked when I saw your fact that Facebook would be the 5th largest country. That is a very eye opening statement. I guess I never realized how many people use facebook to stay connected. I agree with what you say about how your facebook checking has become a ritual. Facebook for me is definitely a daily habit as well, and is now part of my routine. It is odd how we place such a huge importance on how our facebook comes across with the right pictures, info, statuses, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe last sentence of your post is very thought-provoking: "We as a culture have become so absorbed in our own lives as well as the lives of others, and no longer look at Facebook as ‘just another website’, but instead view it as a means of communication equal to face-to-face conversation or talking on the phone."
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Most notably, when you say we have become so absorbed "in the lives of others" and "view it [facebook] as a means of communication EQUAL to face-to-face conversation or talking on the phone".
I think you really have to wonder how facebook has gotten to have so much power: especially over our generation. You're right, it is equal to face-to-face communication in our generation. But why? Does this mean our generation is also putting less value on face-to-face time as a consequence (compared to previous generations)?
Also, the first quote is interesting as well. Facebook is very open and allows one to see what goes on in ones life simply by "creeping" them or by going through their pictures, wall posts, etc. One has to wonder, why do so many of us "creep"?
Curiosity, Facebook is an endless archive of people's lives and we want to know what they are doing. I agree facebook can be a helpful tool especially for photos and for keeping in touch. But many people take it too far. I see about half the people in my classes (with computers) logged into Facebook and when i update my status and someone comments on it instantly i think that is ridiculous. It has too many people completely absorbed. Moderation is key and should be considered more often.
ReplyDeleteThe topic of 'creeping' is really interesting and something I never really thought about when I was thinking about Facebook. I think it is an oxymoron to say 'I use Facebook but I don't creep' because isn't 'using Facebook' looking at statuses, wall-to-walls, pictures, etc? i.e. creeping? Everyone is guilty of it and I think part of it stems from the natural human curiosity to learn more and be 'in the know' in social situations. But it also could be a part of that instant gratification that everyone craves--instead of meeting for coffee or having a conversation about the weekend, why not just go on Facebook and look at the comments/statuses/albums from the previous days? We can build up our social knowledge base without even saying a word. I definitely have adjusted my profile settings to be as private as possible once I realized how easy it is to creep on other people. And it is also creepy how people comment on something the second it gets posted, like this 'internet community' has guards or watchdogs or something!
ReplyDeleteFacebook is definitely an important medium to recognize in our generation, as it has definitely changed the world of everyone who uses it, and even the lifes of people who do not. I think one of the more important uses that you bring up, which has only recently been discussed as a function of Facebook, is how it provokes procrastination and a sort of waste of time. It is true that people who facebook (including myself), become almost reliant on that website as a release from stresses or obligations. With this extreme form of procrastination, comes losses in participating in other releases like spending time with friends, creating art, using imagination, exploring the world... I may be overstating the power of Facebook on the lives of many individuals who use it, but I absolutly feel that it has had obvious effects on the identities and livlihoods of many members of our society.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great blog post! I agree that facebook has become an extension of ourselves, completely. It's sort of weird when you think about how much we all use facebook now. In class you know there are people on facebook all the time and I think it has become a very big distraction for our generation. I think facebook is great, but it is totally overused by everyone. When you really think about it, the rituals of checking your facebook every 30 minutes is completely narcissistic. But it still has become a really important way to keep in touch with people and has replaced how frequently we all use email.
ReplyDeleteI must say, i an NOT one of the 350 million+ people that use Facebook. I have refrained from conforming, simply because it never really appealed to me. However, even as a non-user, i can see how so many people become immersed in it. Many of my friends are the ones constantly changing their profile pictures, or checking their wall or whatever you do. I think its interesting how Facebook has become a way for people to judge the quality of photos. Has anyone else ever heard someone say "profile pic!"?
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