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I have been spending a lot of time using Facebook of late.
Whether just playing word games with friends, or making use of their live, instant message chat feature, or just keeping in touch with friends however possible – I’ve been there.
I am a people person (as I have said before) and so it would make sense to find me at a “people” site. But is connecting with people on Facebook really a social activity?
We were talking with our friends about social networking sites, and how in a strange way they are almost a-social. It’s almost a way to keep from seeing people, and really interacting with them. By leaving a message here or there, or even using the real-time chat, some may consider that they are enjoying a relationship with another human being, and in a way they may be, but in reality, they are staying home and spending time on the computer instead of being with people.
My take on that was that I use Facebook to stay in touch with people I couldn’t otherwise, and to just add to the other communication I have with friends who are local. It’s another way to communicate.
What I noticed recently was that my time is spent very differently these days. I don’t do a lot of things I used to do. I was talking with Jen about that… what has changed? And the only thing I could figure was Facebook. I’ve been using it a lot, and that corresponds with the time I have not been doing other fun stuff I used to do. And that’s been fantastic. I have totally enjoyed keeping in touch with people I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to talk to.
And that’s what I think Facebook does for me. It actually is too social. 🙂 Maybe instead of a-social, Facebook is really hyper-social? You see, maybe we were only meant to relate to the people we could actually visit with in a given day? But now with electronic means of connecting – and Facebook makes that even easier! – I can have daily conversations with many folks I have met along the way in life.
That can fill up your time!
So, we’re feeling a bit busy lately, and maybe that is why. We’re hyper-social! Well, at least I am.
I may try a week or so without Facebook soon, and see what happens to my time. Could be an interesting experience.
But then, would that be a-social, or even anti-social? Would definitely be some sorta “social”. 🙂