Facebook has turned into a weapon of communication. We can easily go online, search for friends, and reconnect with them easier than finding their phone number, giving them a call and asking what they’ve been up to. We can also share opinions, pictures, videos, articles and experiences. In addition, not only can we interact with people from our lives, but we can reach people from across the world. Best of all, it’s free.
The problem with it is we cannot get away from it. Over 100 million devices such as smartphones, Ipod touches, Ipads, Kindles, Nooks, and Windows tablets have an app for Facebook installed and ready for its user to sign in. When businesses advertise their products, a lot of them say, “’Like’ us on Facebook for more information and special deals!” Television stations advertise their programs with exclusive details on Facebook and you get to see it all if you ‘Like’ their fan page. Moreover, besides watching the news, you can easily point and click and get newsfeed from CNN, Fox News, Twenty-Twenty, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, and so on without turning on the TV.
As well as free media, many youths of the twenty-first century have become solely dependent on getting their daily dose of Facebook. They have the desire to know what other people are up to and give their feedback on their friend’s statuses, pictures and opinionated posts. Furthermore, the more we post on Facebook, the more of a desire we have to receive everyone else’s input. Why do we suddenly need to share what we think of something? Why do we think that anyone cares?
Facebook has become a tool for the people who crave the attention of others. People who are going through rough times find that Facebook is the answer to getting by. I believe Facebook has destroyed our sense of courage and emotional strength to break down any obstacle we encounter. We use it as a way to regrow our self-esteem and receive reassurance from our friends. I have seen many depressing status updates of people who are suffering and want to show it to the world.
I am sure people care and can relate what they’re going through but the real question is: which of them will actually help you get through your time of need? All I really see is a comment of sympathy; “I’m sorry! I hope things get better for you [Insert frowning face emoticon here]!” Then there are those who post statuses showing off their achievements and post pictures continuously and ask, “I got a new haircut. How does it look?” Why the need for constant reassurance? Be confident and move on with your life and stop worrying what other people think whether their thoughts are positive or negative.
Facebook has worsened our social lives as well. By growing up in a world of technology, a large number of people have lost the ability to talk effectively face-to-face. Many people have become socially awkward while interpreting emotions and tone of voice when talking to one another. On the other hand, Facebook is not completely to blame for our misunderstanding each other; text messaging and e-mail also contribute to this problem.
Facebook has not only lowered the social lives of many members, but it has also made it easier to harass other individuals. Cyber-bullying has increased dramatically and continues as adolescents join this social networking site and others like it. The adolescence age group is the time when youths are most involved with bullying, whether they are the bully or the victim. Even though Facebook has made options to reduce online bullying, harm can be done on publicized posts. I have seen on the news from time to time that many Facebook users will go out of their way to make a page created to tease and harass an innocent individual.
I think our society has turned Facebook into both a therapeutic tool and a weapon of harassment. We have become aggressively addicted to it so that it becomes an everyday activity we spend countless hours on. I am sure there have been many relationships, friendships, jobs, and careers that have been destroyed because of the wrong things said in a status or a comment. We have used Facebook as our ego and pay for it later. We need to watch what we post on the Internet because it will come back to haunt us.