Taking my face off Facebook
Spread the news everyone, I have just committed the eighth deadly sin - I have deactivated my online Facebook account.
I first got introduced to Facebook, by my friend from the University of Western Ontario a couple of months ago and was told at the time that this new social networking site was a very user friendly, and efficient way to stay in contact with former classmates, current classmates, past friends and close friends who were a part of a post-secondary institution network.
I thought at the time that it might not be a bad idea, but Facebook quickly transformed from a popular niche Internet tool for university and college-aged individuals, into a mainstream trend that everyone was infatuated with and anyone could join, including ‘that guy' from high school who you sat beside once in grade 11 history class.
I mention ‘that guy' because as I got more and more involved with Facebook, I noticed that I was striking up conversation with similar individuals as ‘that guy' on a regular basis.
To describe ‘that guy', or ‘that girl' for that matter, he/she is the person that you have not talked to since high school, he/she has been living in your home town since you have left, and you can spot he/she every weekend in the popular bar in town, which is basically empty unless it is a special weekend — ex. Thanksgiving.
If by chance he/she spots you at the bar on one of these occasions, he/she will insist on giving you a hug, he/she will say ‘man I haven't seen you in forever dude', he/she will undoubtedly be the drunkest individual in the bar - except for he/she's friends that were there and who coincidently all sent you a ‘friend request' on Facebook prior to arriving at the bar.
Hopefully that painted a picture for you. As I started to become sucked in by the gravitational pull known as Facebook, I realized that a lot of my precious time was being spent, reminiscing and holding ‘fake' conversation with a lot of people that fell into the ‘that guy' category.
I may sound a bit arrogant and condescending with that notion, but seriously I hadn't held a sober conversation with more then half of my ‘friends' on Facebook in over six years, why should I start now? Just because Mark Zuckerberg created a forum for me to do so?
Another aspect of Facebook that rubbed me the wrong way and gave me a bad vibe was the photo sharing option on the site.
Sure, on the surface the feature seems great. You can share photos from that fun weekend you had with your friends, or you can view images of yourself from the past that other individuals have posted of you, bringing back some very fond memories.
Not that I have a guilty conscience, nor am I uncomfortable with the degree in which I am photogenic, the fact that photos can be posted of myself by ‘that guy' is not something I might necessarily want to become public to every John Doe or Jane Doe jumping on the Facebook bandwagon.
I do not really need a potential employer or someone I wish to meet in the professional realm to view photographs of myself partying at the celebratory football championship kegger when I was 17.
Hypothetically, the ‘pops' that would be displayed in my hand in these images may not portray the best image to these individuals. The fact that the actions of ‘that guy' could have a negative impact on a potential opportunity or contact for my betterment, is something that I want to control myself and not leave in the hands of yes, ‘that guy'.
So for these reasons I deactivated my Facebook account. I squashed any potential negative consequences that could occur for me, with Facebook being an intermediary factor.
I am no longer going to allow Facebook to consume my free time and I will now once again utilize other past technological trends such as the telephone, or email to stay in contact with the individuals that fill my real-life ‘friends' list.
In fact, in order to spread the word and try to gain a following of like-minded individuals as myself who feel Facebook is in fact evil, I think I will start a brand-spanking-new Facebook group to help us gather our thoughts.
Oh, wait a second...
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
I first got introduced to Facebook, by my friend from the University of Western Ontario a couple of months ago and was told at the time that this new social networking site was a very user friendly, and efficient way to stay in contact with former classmates, current classmates, past friends and close friends who were a part of a post-secondary institution network.
I thought at the time that it might not be a bad idea, but Facebook quickly transformed from a popular niche Internet tool for university and college-aged individuals, into a mainstream trend that everyone was infatuated with and anyone could join, including ‘that guy' from high school who you sat beside once in grade 11 history class.
I mention ‘that guy' because as I got more and more involved with Facebook, I noticed that I was striking up conversation with similar individuals as ‘that guy' on a regular basis.
To describe ‘that guy', or ‘that girl' for that matter, he/she is the person that you have not talked to since high school, he/she has been living in your home town since you have left, and you can spot he/she every weekend in the popular bar in town, which is basically empty unless it is a special weekend — ex. Thanksgiving.
If by chance he/she spots you at the bar on one of these occasions, he/she will insist on giving you a hug, he/she will say ‘man I haven't seen you in forever dude', he/she will undoubtedly be the drunkest individual in the bar - except for he/she's friends that were there and who coincidently all sent you a ‘friend request' on Facebook prior to arriving at the bar.
Hopefully that painted a picture for you. As I started to become sucked in by the gravitational pull known as Facebook, I realized that a lot of my precious time was being spent, reminiscing and holding ‘fake' conversation with a lot of people that fell into the ‘that guy' category.
I may sound a bit arrogant and condescending with that notion, but seriously I hadn't held a sober conversation with more then half of my ‘friends' on Facebook in over six years, why should I start now? Just because Mark Zuckerberg created a forum for me to do so?
Another aspect of Facebook that rubbed me the wrong way and gave me a bad vibe was the photo sharing option on the site.
Sure, on the surface the feature seems great. You can share photos from that fun weekend you had with your friends, or you can view images of yourself from the past that other individuals have posted of you, bringing back some very fond memories.
Not that I have a guilty conscience, nor am I uncomfortable with the degree in which I am photogenic, the fact that photos can be posted of myself by ‘that guy' is not something I might necessarily want to become public to every John Doe or Jane Doe jumping on the Facebook bandwagon.
I do not really need a potential employer or someone I wish to meet in the professional realm to view photographs of myself partying at the celebratory football championship kegger when I was 17.
Hypothetically, the ‘pops' that would be displayed in my hand in these images may not portray the best image to these individuals. The fact that the actions of ‘that guy' could have a negative impact on a potential opportunity or contact for my betterment, is something that I want to control myself and not leave in the hands of yes, ‘that guy'.
So for these reasons I deactivated my Facebook account. I squashed any potential negative consequences that could occur for me, with Facebook being an intermediary factor.
I am no longer going to allow Facebook to consume my free time and I will now once again utilize other past technological trends such as the telephone, or email to stay in contact with the individuals that fill my real-life ‘friends' list.
In fact, in order to spread the word and try to gain a following of like-minded individuals as myself who feel Facebook is in fact evil, I think I will start a brand-spanking-new Facebook group to help us gather our thoughts.
Oh, wait a second...
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
