In Defense of Facebook
Most all of us have entertained a serious love affair with procrastination for years and years... and years. We simply love to put things off to the last minute, wasting time on things that absolutely don't matter, nor amount to anything. This ain't a secret, as dirty a habit as it may be. What annoys me is when it is assumed that the things employed to aid the waste of time are wastes of time inherently. This is a mistake all too commonly made and all too commonly accepted out of an attempt to wage war on our inability to exercise self-control. Most of the time, however, these things truly do not deserve the contemptuous glares they receive, and the baby gets thrown out with the bath water. Or people try to. Normally, the baby holds on to the tub and starts screaming.
This is the cry of the baby: that Facebook is a fascinating, appropriate, useful, beneficial thing to use. Because many people do only use it to vomit boredom into, it can become a bit cumbersome sometimes. But when used properly, to the greatest of its potential, it can be a delightful place to spend time and get to know people better.
I'll just assume we've all heard the generic argument as to why Facebook is great: most of it is about keeping touch over long distances. Sure, there's a huge value to that. I've been able to keep much better touch with people in South Africa and with old friends because of it, reconnecting with people I likely would never have seen again. Yes, these relationships are valid to me. No, they do not only exist in the virtual world. The virtual world has a big impact on the "real" world these days. It's not exactly fake anymore. (Turn on the news if you doubt.)
Facebook works for more regular purposes than overthrowing oppressive dictatorships and maintaining touch with everyone you've ever met, though. My point is that it's great as a means of connection with the people you see everyday, as well. There is a certain type of interaction that is truly only possible online, through networks like Facebook.
For one, it is the only good way to allow group viewings and discussions of pictures and videos. Any other way, one would have to congregate, in a room, with tons of other people, at a specific time, some time after the fact. More than that, you'd have to organize something like that every time you wanted to do it again. Pictures and videos on Facebook allows people to remember things as a community and comment on the things that remain. And this can go on for days, weeks, months, years after the fact. People can do this on their own time, no matter where they are, no matter if they're in their pajamas or proper clothing. Comments are contributed and saved for the first moment it's convenient for the other people to see them. Because it's all viewable from that point on, not only pictures and videos, but words as well, can be remembered and enjoyed years later. This simply isn't possible otherwise.
There is also a very specific way to use status updates that I find both very useful and very interesting. The beauty of status updates is that they can be absolutely random. In fact, they have to be absolutely random, because they're given no true context. This allows people to make wonderful political/social statements or announce realizations to the world, just launching ideas into cyberspace for open discussion with near all the people that know you. It's a way to rally people in support for (or provoke a reaction against) some well-known lyric or quote. It's a way to publish one's thoughts to the world even if they're too short to write an entire blog on. To be quite honest, when I started this blog, it was out of an attempt to write extended, well-developed Facebook statuses. Musings. That the world can read if they wish, or ignore if they wish, react to in comment or simply choose to ignore. It is just impersonal and just personal enough to create a happy medium... if used correctly.
Just like bad bloggers, there are bad facebookers. Many. And they regularly outnumber the good ones. But several are very good at it. One of my favorites is chock full of politics, and I'm not all that fond of politics, but much if it is very interesting. (I've been asked to change names, though I would rather credit people for their intelligence.) For example:
Others won't sound as much as your daily piece of wisdom for the day, but still make you smile upon reading them:
This is the cry of the baby: that Facebook is a fascinating, appropriate, useful, beneficial thing to use. Because many people do only use it to vomit boredom into, it can become a bit cumbersome sometimes. But when used properly, to the greatest of its potential, it can be a delightful place to spend time and get to know people better.
I'll just assume we've all heard the generic argument as to why Facebook is great: most of it is about keeping touch over long distances. Sure, there's a huge value to that. I've been able to keep much better touch with people in South Africa and with old friends because of it, reconnecting with people I likely would never have seen again. Yes, these relationships are valid to me. No, they do not only exist in the virtual world. The virtual world has a big impact on the "real" world these days. It's not exactly fake anymore. (Turn on the news if you doubt.)
Facebook works for more regular purposes than overthrowing oppressive dictatorships and maintaining touch with everyone you've ever met, though. My point is that it's great as a means of connection with the people you see everyday, as well. There is a certain type of interaction that is truly only possible online, through networks like Facebook.
For one, it is the only good way to allow group viewings and discussions of pictures and videos. Any other way, one would have to congregate, in a room, with tons of other people, at a specific time, some time after the fact. More than that, you'd have to organize something like that every time you wanted to do it again. Pictures and videos on Facebook allows people to remember things as a community and comment on the things that remain. And this can go on for days, weeks, months, years after the fact. People can do this on their own time, no matter where they are, no matter if they're in their pajamas or proper clothing. Comments are contributed and saved for the first moment it's convenient for the other people to see them. Because it's all viewable from that point on, not only pictures and videos, but words as well, can be remembered and enjoyed years later. This simply isn't possible otherwise.
There is also a very specific way to use status updates that I find both very useful and very interesting. The beauty of status updates is that they can be absolutely random. In fact, they have to be absolutely random, because they're given no true context. This allows people to make wonderful political/social statements or announce realizations to the world, just launching ideas into cyberspace for open discussion with near all the people that know you. It's a way to rally people in support for (or provoke a reaction against) some well-known lyric or quote. It's a way to publish one's thoughts to the world even if they're too short to write an entire blog on. To be quite honest, when I started this blog, it was out of an attempt to write extended, well-developed Facebook statuses. Musings. That the world can read if they wish, or ignore if they wish, react to in comment or simply choose to ignore. It is just impersonal and just personal enough to create a happy medium... if used correctly.
Just like bad bloggers, there are bad facebookers. Many. And they regularly outnumber the good ones. But several are very good at it. One of my favorites is chock full of politics, and I'm not all that fond of politics, but much if it is very interesting. (I've been asked to change names, though I would rather credit people for their intelligence.) For example:
Thaddeus ThackerayI don't comment on them very much, but I find them interesting to read.
Abscence of proof is never proof of absence
Thaddeus Thackeray
the only differance between fascism and communism is that one has a cross the other a hammer and sickle
Others won't sound as much as your daily piece of wisdom for the day, but still make you smile upon reading them:
Barbara BarbersThey find ways to relay news and share pieces of one's life in amusing ways:
open my computer and go to my homepage. nothing about the conflict in Egypt or the storms in the USA. Breaking news: Miley Cyrus has a new tattoo and (possible boyfriend)...good to know msn has its priorities straight...
Ozzie Orkel
I find it hilarious that Kevin Davison talks about the Ontological Argument the same way he does about his child.
Andrea AndexlerOr just be clever:
Pumped for my super-cute Valentine's Day date tonight ;)
Marié Dippenaar Babysitting, no doubt. XD
3 people like this
Andrea Andexler Date was AMAZING- I was really impressed with his ability to eat diced pears with a fork, and reading books out loud was so sweet ;)
2 people like this
Zoe ZicklefooseOthers are a little less than thought-provoking, but certainly entertain me:
Reading Catcher in the Rye is starting to make me feel crumby. It really does. It's so goshdarn depressing, because Holden is so phony and all. It just kills me.
13 people like this.
Georg Gallenberger
misses having the ability to be openly innocent. I was once a 6yr old boy that was in love with strangers, as I watched them smoke their cigarettes, I'd wave. I was much too young to think of danger. I could be curious, innocent, and brave, but now the soft voice in my head tells me that the lucky ones are dead, and it keeps me moving on.
19 hours ago
Hadassah HartzogThere are so many different ways to use Facebook posts in completely healthy ways, without damaging people's self-esteem or worsening social ability. I legitimately enjoy reading things and stalking people on Facebook, because it truly does tell you a lot about what's going on in your world and in other peoples' if you just listen. I believe it is a unique way to interact with one another and people should quit bashing it. Facebook should not be synonymous with "procrastination" or "boredom." But aren't those things places we often meet each other?
's biology textbook is heavier than her cat.
Hadassah Hartzog
has carpet fibers in her teeth. Cool.
This goes too far. Please censor or change the names.
ReplyDeleteEyeroll. Anyone that reads this blog probably also reads your facebook wall. But I will change the names.
ReplyDelete