It’s been the best of times, it’s been the worst of times. I’m talking about my experience with Facebook, of course!
For those of you who don’t know, Facebook is a social networking site specifically targeted at teens and young adults (it was originally college-students-only, but now anybody with an email address can join). It allows you to post contact information, find friends’ contact info, send friendly notes to people, etc.
Click on the image to the left to see what my Facebook profile looks like (as of now). I joined Facebook in 2005, and (like many things in my life) I’ve had sort of a love/hate relationship with the site since then.
In many ways, Facebook has been a negative influence in my life. I consistently waste WAY too much time checking for messages and seeing what my friends are up to. I often begin comparing myself to the people I see presented in others’ profiles, and wondering why they’re so much more happy/popular/cool than I am. I’ve been hurt many times by “friends” who totally ignore me on Facebook, or worse yet hit me with stupid, insensitive comments when I try to be nice to them.
However, Facebook has also been a positive influence in my life! I’ve gotten to meet some neat “Facebook friends.” Better yet, I’ve had opportunities to get to know my real-life friends a bit better. I’ve had SO many nice conversations with people via Facebook’s “email” capability. It’s really fun to be able to post friendly notes on my friends’ “wall,” and I’ve received so many funny/sweet comments on my wall as well.
Attemping to look on the bright side, I guess I would have to say that Facebook’s merits outweigh its bad parts. Overall, it’s been great to be able to keep in touch with people and to have a relatively safe networking site to hang out at.
I just wish that my real-life relationships were half as good as my “virtual” ones. It’s kinda sad that Facebook is essentially my only source of regular social interaction. 
Posted: December 18th, 2007 under Thoughts.
Comments
Comment from Jed
Time 2007/12/18 at 11:26 pm
Haha… oh Mom, you’re not unwanted! I just don’t visit your Facebook profile very often because I can talk to you in person any time I want!
Comment from Eloprah
Time 2007/12/19 at 12:10 pm
I agree! Facebook takes up waaaay too much time! But, it is nice to be able to keep in touch with people, especially if they don’t respond to regular emails. 
Anyways, I at least haven’t been on there for a while – I just finished finals! And now I am at home – and this computer is so slow, it would take hours to post comments. So I will be out of commission for a while.
How are your finals going?
I should probably post this under that neat “random” page you put up…
Merry Christmas!
Comment from Jed
Time 2007/12/19 at 10:23 pm
Eloprah, are you accusing me of not answering my emails?!! I represent that remark! CONGRATULATIONS on finishing your finals! I too am done with another semester, and it feels GREAT.
Sorry to hear you won’t be facebooking much these days. Perhaps slow internet is a blessing in disguise, though — if I had slow internet, I would probably be forced to accomplish a lot more schoolwork, etc.
Merry Christmas to you as well. We should get together and hang out sometime before you have to go back to school.
Comment from Marty
Time 2007/12/18 at 11:18 pm
I can totally relate to how you feel about Facebook. It has just reinforced how “unpopular” I really am, and how boring my life is. Worse yet, I feel old and unwelcome – like I’ve crashed someone’s party. But maybe my presence will make others feel good to see that there really are people worse off than they are?