In truth, almost 90 percent of the world’s population uses social networking sites. Wherever I go, Facebook is everywhere. Be it wireless internet connection through mobile phones or even in classes where people are supposed to be concentrating on the subject but instead fixate their time on it.
I understand why it has become popular with many people nowadays. It is place where people get to together and chat. It is a place where old friends (possibly enemies) can re-unite again. It may even make it less awkward when talking to the people you do not know but has added them on Facebook. It can be even a dating site to the extent that it is a social networking site.
“It is quite obvious that a trade off is happening between the advantages and disadvantages of Facebook. While it increases the communication and connection between friends and the online community it also increases the risk of procrastination and makes it easier for others to stalk a user. Worse, some are actually punished for what they put on their profile and would claim that it was there only for fun.” -
Source (¶ 5)Image by TomPreston at Deviantart.com
However, what about the estimated 10 percent? Surely with all the good reasoning here the 10 percent would join Facebook. But they have their opinions on the matter.
Addiction
Facebook is something like drugs (sort of). Every moment when one logs on to a computer, the first site people go to would be Facebook to check their notifications among other things. It seems like an addiction that no one can stop.
There is a Singapore show: Singapore Talking and there was a topic regarding the addiction or constant use of social networking sites. A sneak peek into an office of a company was filled with employees with Facebook in front of their screens. An interview with the head of that company ended up with him saying:
“You can’t stop the use of social networking sites in the office.”
“What we can do is to set boundaries and limits.”
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Image by Cobalt-Ace at |
Just recently in a newspaper article, Email gets junked under the Lifestyle section of the Sunday Times, Natasha (2011) reported that “Experian Hitwise, a global information services company that tracks internet usage, ranks Facebook in Singapore as the top searched term over a 24 week period last year.”
This shows that many people search for Facebook almost every single day, even multiple times during the day itself!
Do I know you?
I refer to a news paper article entitled “So how true is the Facebook flick?” I presume you all know of the movie The social network. Well the author seems to think that not everything about the movie and facebook itself is true.
“Then there is the persistent oversharing by people you barely know. Normally, you would have no idea what sort of work day they were having and you would be blissful in your ignorance. After all, you’ve only met the guy once at a party. You don’t even know why he added you as a friend.”
“Now he is spamming your Facebook with updates about how bad a day he is having, while intermittently poking you, recruiting you to his zombie army and inviting you to a farm.”
“Not cool, Facebook, not cool.”
- Jeremy, A.Y. (2010, November 6). The straits times. Life, p.20
JesseNewhart March 11 2009
Stalking
In some cases, people have used this social networking site to stalk people either by looking at other people’s profile one too many times or to see what other people are up to.
In retrospect, almost everybody uses Facebook and says what they really feel but be careful of what you see that might offend others or they would take it the wrong way. I saw a Singapore website that talked about a woman in the United Kingdom that simply said “My job is boring.” The next day, she checked her Facebook and found that her boss commented on her status, saying that she was fired due to her comment.
"Following your comments made on Facebook about your job and the company we feel it is better that, as you are not happy and do not enjoy your work, we end your employment with Ivell Marketing & Logistics with immediate effect."
nigahiga October 1 2010
After all that, I am not encouraging anyone to heed of the disadvantages to a serious note but just to consider what your actions may lead to in the future.
So let me ask you this:
Do you think you can live without Facebook for at least a week?
Do you have that many friends (e.g. 1000) that you actually know?
Do you write anything sensitive to the work or subject you do?
