When the internet came around ten-plus years ago, I certainly never thought that it would consume so much of my time-or my life.
And then, I met Facebook a little over a year ago…..
I find it hard to believe that a site such as this, which was invented by a kid in his dorm room at Harvard five plus years ago, would have grabbed me in hook, line and sinker. I never really got that into Myspace. This though. This has got me.
Who wouldn’t be hooked with Facebook? With it’s Facebook pages, online games and chat capabilities, it’s a gold mine for people like me-the median age group that uses this site. My gosh! I could be online all night long talking to people!
Haven’t done that-yet-even though I have spent waaaay too much time on there.
Why, you ask?
The world is on here! My world, that is.
The neighbors who threw the bad-assed parties as teenagers (when I was a kid, sadly enough…) are on here, a family friend who used to babysit me is on here. My first date, who is now married and a father, is on here. My kindergarten best friend is on here also.
In fact, roughly one-third of my friend list is people that I went to school with-whether it be kindergarten, high school or college. I’m even Facebook friends with people I know through their blogs. Church friends take up roughly 17 percent of my friends list and family comes in a not-so-distant third with eight percent of my friends list.
It has been fun, and surprising, to reconnect with people that I see on Facebook. It has also provided some interesting, and sombering experiences though also. The sombering would be finding out a friend from college passed away when his niece wrote a note on his Facebook page.
The interesting, or I should say, really awesome, experiences include getting to know family members who I only see at family get-togethers every decade or so. I wonder how many more family members are on Facebook that I don’t know about? Probably all of them. 
I would say that overall, Facebook has been an incredibly positive experience. The world can feel incredibly small sometimes when you connect with people.
Whether it be chatting.
Playing a game of poker.
Or ratting out your 12-year-old cousin (who shouldn’t be on Facebook in the first place) who is posting pictures of her house with her address showing for all the world to see.
And so, here’s to Facebooking.
As long as it remains free.
I found this post by way of the facebook tag, and couldn’t resist the word ‘addiciton’ in the title. I am addiction to catching up with old friends on facebook, and have also enjoyed learning more about my fellow bloggers. I have resisted, however, all forms of games. No snowballs or mafia wars for me. I owe my employer’s IT department a big thanks for blocking it at work. I suspect my productity would seriously be impaired by its availability…just as my productivity at home is impaired. I rationalize that it makes up for the tv I don’t have…and that’s how I find out when relationship statuses change.
I call it Digital Reality. You can watch the daily interactions of people you know. I totally agree with you, “ The world is on here! My world, that is.”
Here is my latest book on the subject.
“Facebook Addiction: The Life & Times of Social Networking Anonymous”
Amazon: http://www.TheFacebookAddiction.com/links/retail/amazon
Blog: http://www.icecreammelts.com/blogs/facebook-addiction
More Info: http://www.TheFacebookAddiction.com
I certainly can understand why so many folks like Facebook. What I do not understand is why so many people after reconnecting on Facebook don’t just connect in real life. I know many have but I do not think enough have. Real life is the satisfaction for me. Of course other than those who do not live near by.
I do go on Facebook , but never stay on for more than 10 minutes if that. Sitting on ones arse can give you hemmies. lol
I suggest all the addicts of Facebook start weening themselves off of it and hook up in real life. Everyone would get so much more done and have more time to work towards their dreams.
With that said I do however think it is an excellent business networking site when looking for certain products or services.
But for those of you who are having a blast with it, well great!
And for all the addicts of any site, next time you get up from your computer and walks by a mirror don’t come crying to me that you have aged and don’t know where the time went. LOL