Saturday, October 30, 2010

To Facebook or not to Facebook

I started using Facebook about a year ago.  My sisters and my son convinced me that I should hop on the bandwagon.  After spending a year partaking in all of the fun, I have pondered whether or not it is worth it.  The down side is that you see a side of people that you never knew existed, and quite frankly, that you really wished you wouldn't have seen.  I guess the mere fact that people can sit in front of their computer, instead of facing an actual person, gives them the boldness to use language that they would never have used if they were speaking directly to you.  I've found that at times I am "out of the loop" and discover shocking things about people, or stumble across startling photographs.  But on the flip side, I have seen many positive aspects of the whole Facebook experience.  I "talk" to one of my sisters on almost a daily basis.  She lives a long way from me, and so it is a great way to stay in touch.  Cousins that I used to rarely see now pop up on my screen almost daily.  I can hop on over to their pages, and see at a glance what they are up to, hear about their kids, and every now and then get a good chuckle about some of their antics.  Keeping in touch with old high school friends has also been very enjoyable.  Being able to see pictures of a brand new niece within hours after she was born, and hear that everyone is doing well, is a blessing.  So you see I have many more "plus" items than "negative" items.  But one item to add to the "plus" side is that I was recently connected to a childhood friend that I would never have guessed I would ever have seen again.  She was the perfect friend -- a next door neighbor friend.  Someone who was always there; and there was never a question of whether or not we would spend a day together.  We spent summers riding her horse, wandering the countryside, eating rhubarb and strawberries out of her mother's immense garden, and just being friends.  Here is a picture of us.  Aren't we a rough and tumble looking group.  From left to right is my friend, Pam, me, and my sisters Megan, and Peggy.  We are holding some of our new puppies.


So to answer my own question, I think I will continue on Facebook.  The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

8 comments:

Kathy said...

I don't Facebook - I leave it for my children to have some private space. I can see the benefits of being able to keep in touch with people, but it's not for me!
Love Kathy xxx

Kar said...

I don't Facebook either. There is a reason why I don't want to connect with anyone I went to school with, etc. They were all jerks. So why give them the satisfaction of being chummy now.

Peter Jones said...

I do facebook. I've been doing it about 2 years now. I have loved being able to reconnect with people that I had lost touch with as well as the other positive aspects you mentioned. I actually have some idea of what's happening in people's lives (that live far away) that I rarely got a chance to catch up with previously. I have come to know the people who post things that are inappropriate and I never look through their pictures or even read their status updates. I stick with reading the things I care about. Overall, I'm so thankful for the fast, easy communication it has provided.
Julie

Maria said...

I have been doing facebook for about a year now. I actually got on it to see what my kids were up to. Well I found out my kids are doing pretty good and then I found a bunch of people and I was hooked and enjoyed it for a while.....Now, I am starting to see a lot of things I don't like (not with my kids, but others) and I have to Un-friend people. I think I'm almost done with facebook...

Sheila said...

I too see advantages and disadvantages. Facebook does give me a way to daily keep in touch with my daughter who is on the other side of the country (even thought we also talk every day on the phone). I do think it is not a great way to get to know people which many seem to do.

Over all, I have enjoyed it.

koralee said...

Hi friend...I fb but not about everything...and I am very picky about who I become friends with.

I have found that people do tend to use it as a way to voice whatever beefs they have...but I tend to stay away from those folks and have deleted them from my fb and now all is Happy and well.xoxo

Jan said...

That is an adorable photo! I love that time...girlfriends, sisters, puppies and horses!! And just look at the car behind you! :-)

Keaty family said...

Yes, FB (like all internet social networking) leaves me with a bitter-sweet taste. I use it for my business, because it's so popular, but I find myself struggling with too much information and too little accountability. I think I could write a book on the topic...but no one would buy it...they're too busy changing their status.

Thumbs Up for our monthly face to face tea time! That's real friendship.

with joy~ Steph