Although I really talked up Facebook in my last post, I don’t want to give the impression that it’s 100% wonderful. There are also some aspects of Facebook that aren’t so fabulous. The most prominent one is that it is addicting. I’m not talking mildly addicting for amusement, I’m talking hard core can’t draw yourself away from it. This probably goes mainly for girls, but looking at people’s pictures on Facebook and chatting with your friends can become very distracting. The art of “Facebook stalking” is also very prominent in college; searching for information about the latest gossip by checking out other peoples’ conversations, photos, etc. Sometimes I find myself on Facebook for over an hour before I even realize it, and this can be very detrimental to students with busy schedules.
Although the addictive nature of Facebook can be devastating, it is only a matter of self control to fix. There are other more serious issues that come with being a Facebook user. First of all, anyone can see everything that you post on your profile. This means contact information etc., so you always have to be careful about what information you disclose to avoid your information coming into the wrong person’s hands. Also, some employers have recently started checking Facebook as a part of their hire process. This means that any inappropriate photos or information could cost you a job or a scholarship. Even though Facebook offers very useful networking tools, it must be used smartly in order for it to not work against you.
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4 comments:
Although Facebook has downsides, it is a great way to keep in touch with people from high school and people you don't see every day. If employers choose to not hire you because of pictures on your facebook, then perhaps they just see it as you are immature and can't present yourself very well. Even if you only go to one party and then you post "bad looking pictures" on your facebook, then personally I believe a business should look at that and see that the person is too immature for a serious job and could have responsibility put on their shoulders.
I do agree that facebook has it's problems. But users can protect themselves. There are many privacy settings available to block your profile from everyone who isn't on your friend list. You can untag yourself from photos.
It may be harsh, but I'm of the opinion that if you don't know how to use these settings that you need to learn. If you're just too lazy, the you deserve to get burned in a job interview.
I also think that since facebook was opened up to everyone that it has become a much trashier place. No offense to high school students, but most of the highschool profiles that I've seen are full of crap (those little add ons. Some are okay. If I spend more time scrolling than reading, there's a problem) and everything is just slutty.
Facebook is becoming myspace, and it disturbs me.
I totally agree with the fact being addcited to Facebook is a very negative fact. You mentioned in your post that with self control this problem can be fixed. You do realize that many people know about their addiction but still no one is willing to control themselves. It might be unrealistic, but my solution is to have colleges block sites such as Facebook or Myspace. It will definitly help students stay on track with school work. But then again, we will have numerous angry mobs outside the school administrator office.
I strongly disagree with your comment about "girls" being the ones mainly drawn in by facebook. I know plenty of guys that are on facebook all the time.
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