I still remember the day I first tried to register for Facebook—and failed—because only those possessing a university e-mail address were allowed to be a part of this exclusive community. As sad as I was during the few months I was forced to wait my turn, I think Facebook was probably better off when it still possessed those exclusive qualities. But I guess that all depends on what exactly you feel Facebook should be used for. After studying a Facebook junkie for a week, I am convinced that certain Facebook users have gone way too far, sharing an abundance of extremely personal or simply stupid information via status, note, comment, etc. on a far-too-frequent basis. Below are some prime examples, both disturbing and amusing.
After observing my subject for a week, I have come to the conclusion that some individuals have far too much time on their hands. I get that with new technology, many people are connected to the Internet 24/7. But seriously, who has time to update their status every 15 minutes? Here are various status updates I collected throughout the week:
i am LIVID...making my way through the storm to go to the fucking ER to get this damn dog bite on my FACE looked at cuz its infected and i need a shot now too. AAHHHHHHH FML
THIS COULDN'T BE HAPPENING. I thought I was such a good friend. Being betrayed by my two closest friends is one of the worst things that could have happened at this point in my life.
i wish you were trying to figure out what clothes to put on to come put them on my floor later tonite. LOL
My room smells like a candy store. I just took a bath involving chocolate shampoo and chocolate body wash. now I am rubbing on coca butter. I am so a chocoholic...
needs to not be on facebook for awhile for my own mental well-being. if you really like me youll email/call me. peace out.
Finally this girl gets it right…we’ll see how long it lasts.
In addition to frequent status updates and making comments on the walls of her 943 friends, my subject enjoys posting links to her favorite “jams,” uploading pictures featuring she and her multitude of roommates getting dressed up and drinking, and finally—while this note was NOT written in the last week it HAD to be mentioned—posting notes that anyone reading would clearly label TMI.
HE JUST WALKS AWAY:
so the man I have been in love with for the past three years did something major yesterday like a total jack ass move.
He came home for leave for the week and came over last night and watched a movie with me, one thing led to another and ya we slept together. He kept telling me over the weeks how much he wants me and he cant wait to be with me again and how much he loves and i have the fucken texts to prove it. Then after its all done he lays there and makes a rude comment about something he could do to be a total dick to me that well its really private so im not gunna share, but then gets up says he is tired and starts to grab his things to leave. I walk him to the door cuz i didnt know what to say and we hug eachother like long "wow its been too long" hugs a kiss and then he said I love you and i said it back, he walks out the door, and today he totally ignores me. Everyone told me it would happen but iv known him for so long I didnt think Andrew would ever do that to anyone, apparentley i was wrong. I feel so used and dirty for what i did, i knew better. I love him so much and all i wanted was him back instead he just uses that to his advantage i guess...it hurts so much i have never felt this way before i just want to stop crying but i cant i really cant, he is all i think about.
In the case of my Facebook study subject, I think most people would agree that too much personal/private information was revealed. My subject went beyond the frequent status updates and comments that sometimes annoy people or make them chuckle, effectively crossing a line by sharing information that only makes those who stumble upon it uncomfortable. I am deeply confused about why individuals continue to post such self-destructive material in what should at least be considered a semi-public environment. While some hard and fast rules regarding Facebook-appropriate material exist, at other times, one can only apply the phrase, “I know it when I see it.” And believe me, in studying my subject, I definitely SAW IT.
To learn more about bizarre Facebook users like my subject, I suggest the following site: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/20/annoying.facebook.updaters/
Enjoy!
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ReplyDeleteI am in complete agreeance. Facebook has become too public. In the New York Times article we read for this week, it discusses Mark Zuckerberg's ideas on social media platforms and how they have advanced from private sites to extemely public. According to Zuckerberg, Facebook did not start out this way but the trend of blogging and especially Twitter have lended to a more public space. Zuckerberg claims his company was just following the trend by making Facebook more public as well, however I see no direct benefits to this trend. Facebook has become a pompous playground where updaters have a clear target for their personal, whiney updates. The problem is, their target isn't necessarily listening. Usually they are not paying attention at all because they are either a.not into facebook 24/7 or b.Oversharing in their own statuses.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm trying to get at is this: Facebook started as a way to keep in touch with your college friends once you graduated high school. (I, too, remember having to wait to get a college e-mail address before excitedly joining the Facebook world.) Sadly, it has turned into a space where people update their statuses/profiles to share what they are doing, without trying to connect with their friends (for the purpose in which facebook was built.) "The Book" encourages self-centeredness and ego-promotion rather than friendmaking. It's a sad turn of events and I hope not to see it reflected in people on a face-to-face basis as Facebook continues.
I feel like I am ever-behind in the Facebook realm.
ReplyDeleteFrom my other comments it's obvious I'm not a big Fan (ha. no pun intended). However, unlike the above posters, I remember learning of Facebook only AFTER a friend created my profile for me - and after 3/4 of my high school had already adopted the platform.
As I feel like I'm always needed to catch up, it's extremely annyoing to me when Facebook has a "face-lift" right when I've just figured it out(I suspect others dislike this as well, as I distinctly remember many unhappy status-posts in the aftermath of its last overhalul).
Sadly, today I realized Facebook has yet-again revamped its page. It took me 5 minutes to discover how to log out. Even worse - my roommates have just informed me the new look has been up for 4 days. As I know people who become Facebook-deprived after only an hour, this simiply proves how out of it I am.