Facehooked

It almost makes me sick to realize how obsessed my generation has become with Facebook. Yes, I admit that I too have an account.  I update pictures and occasionally write on my friends walls or share links through my status bar.  However, I typically check Facebook about once or twice a day on my phone and that is it. Some people, though, nearly have a panic attack if they can't log-on for several days or even several hours.  I do understand the addiction...but it was more of a problem for me in high school.  I would spend all day with my friends at school, do my after school activities, finish my homework, and then I would have nothing to do.  Therefore, I would spend hours on Facebook looking at everyone's profile, status updates and pictures.  In college, though, I spend these idle hours actually hanging out with my friends and talking to them in person or talking on the phone to my friends at home. One thing Facebook does deserve credit for is that it allows people to stay in touch much more easily.  I have several family members in Ireland who I would not necessarily call on the phone to chat with granted the time difference, but Facebook allows me to look at pictures of them and send them a quick message any time anywhere.  Facebook has also changed certain parts of our social experience even outside it's realms.  Girls have become obsessed with taking Facebook pictures for all of their "friends" to see, and parties are advertised through Facebook groups and events.  I think part of the appeal, other than being able to see everyone else's information, is the idea that everyone else can see ours.  It gives us that feeling of celebrity, as if people are watching what we do and actually care.  Ironically, celebrities really lack a presence on Facebook.  Facebook is more about our own peer group than any elite hierarchy.  If we want to know the latest celebrity gossip we turn to tabloids or Twitter; if we want to know the latest going-ons of our friends and classmates, we turn to Facebook.

 I do appreciate the ability Facebook has given me to stay in contact with people I have met in various stages of my life and it can provide entertainment for me when I am bored.  However, I find it pretty sad that people won't even pay attention in class because they have to rummage through pages and pages of useless Facebook nonsense.  It consumes people and it is downright creepy how much we can learn about people we have never even talked to by looking at their Facebook page.  My profile is set to a very private setting, but hacking is also a possibility.  One other thing that is somewhat upsetting to me is how Facebook has transformed the world of photos.  My house is full of photo collages and framed pictures, and my mom will definitely pull out the old photo albums at family 

parties.  Todays generation, though, is missing out on that opportunity to really hold and admire that glossy kodak moment.  I just don't understand how we are going to show our children all our best memories...are we going to dust off our old Facebook and pull it up for our grandchildren?  Sure every generation is subject to technological change and advancement, but this is one of which I still don't understand the long-term effects.

Oh, and one time I put up a photo album and didn't have time to tag all my friends....so this happened..... 

Ya, some people are too obsessed with Facebook.