Doesn't anyone get the impression that 'social networking' is actually destroying our social networks.
After about 3 months on facebook i accumulated 104 'friends' of whom:
30% were people from school who i'd lost touch with, didn't want to keep in touch with, and didn't keep in touch with even with the aid of Facebook
30% were people from university i'd lost touch with, didn't want to keep in touch with, and didn't keep in touch with even with the aid of Facebook.
20% were people I have or do work with that I didn't want to keep in touch with ever, or see on a daily basis anyway.
20% were people i was in contact with, saw and spoke to, on a regular basis and Facebook was merely a means of posting absurd little 'wall' messages and various types of 'poking' and 'gifts'.
I think Facebook appeals to the generation getting older who yearn for the nostalgia of the past -- i'm 26 and, yes, remember good times with School friends and Uni friends. When you're in a situation or place you make a circle of friends. Of those friends some become very good friends. When you move on those friends that became very good friends stay very good friends. You make an effort to see them and speak to them. The rest are people you don't really care about any more because they don't pervade your daily life. If you or others can't keep in touch with people by another means apart from the convenience of Facebook, then they're not actually friends and are merely acquaintances. You meet up with friends; spend time with friends; and talk to friends -- not send them 3 line messages. I get the feeling that the whole idea of 'social networking' is absurd and actually detracts from proper friendship: put down the mouse, pick up the phone and ring someone you haven't spoken to in a while. It will enrich yours and the other person's life.
Apart from the absurdity, the other thing that strikes me is the pure arrogance of it all. Again, friends will know what you're interested in or what book you're reading or the latest awsome film you saw. They don't need to look at a profile to find out and the idea that others will find it interesting is just odd (special mention to the information bar: 'Fiona is... skiving off work lol'). This further stretches to things like Livejournal. I can understand blogs that address a particular subject, interest or cause but, seriously, informing the world or friends about your life via an online diary is just insulting. Would it actually take so much to write an e-mail or, again, pick up the phone?
Ok, rant over. In answer to the original question -- I use no social networking sites.
After about 3 months on facebook i accumulated 104 'friends' of whom:
30% were people from school who i'd lost touch with, didn't want to keep in touch with, and didn't keep in touch with even with the aid of Facebook
30% were people from university i'd lost touch with, didn't want to keep in touch with, and didn't keep in touch with even with the aid of Facebook.
20% were people I have or do work with that I didn't want to keep in touch with ever, or see on a daily basis anyway.
20% were people i was in contact with, saw and spoke to, on a regular basis and Facebook was merely a means of posting absurd little 'wall' messages and various types of 'poking' and 'gifts'.
I think Facebook appeals to the generation getting older who yearn for the nostalgia of the past -- i'm 26 and, yes, remember good times with School friends and Uni friends. When you're in a situation or place you make a circle of friends. Of those friends some become very good friends. When you move on those friends that became very good friends stay very good friends. You make an effort to see them and speak to them. The rest are people you don't really care about any more because they don't pervade your daily life. If you or others can't keep in touch with people by another means apart from the convenience of Facebook, then they're not actually friends and are merely acquaintances. You meet up with friends; spend time with friends; and talk to friends -- not send them 3 line messages. I get the feeling that the whole idea of 'social networking' is absurd and actually detracts from proper friendship: put down the mouse, pick up the phone and ring someone you haven't spoken to in a while. It will enrich yours and the other person's life.
Apart from the absurdity, the other thing that strikes me is the pure arrogance of it all. Again, friends will know what you're interested in or what book you're reading or the latest awsome film you saw. They don't need to look at a profile to find out and the idea that others will find it interesting is just odd (special mention to the information bar: 'Fiona is... skiving off work lol'). This further stretches to things like Livejournal. I can understand blogs that address a particular subject, interest or cause but, seriously, informing the world or friends about your life via an online diary is just insulting. Would it actually take so much to write an e-mail or, again, pick up the phone?
Ok, rant over. In answer to the original question -- I use no social networking sites.
God Calls Me God
