Tuesday, October 18, 2011

To Facebook or Not to Facebook?

The MySpace days were quickly dying and more and more people were joining Facebook.  Everyone said how much better it was, how it was more user friendly, and that it was the next best thing.  MySpace was surely drifting away, so I quickly hopped on the Facebook wagon to see what it was all about.  After only having it for one day, I already had about 40 friend requests.  Compared to MySpace, this was hopping.  I quickly became hooked.  I have always been careful about what I put on Facebook, because my MySpace had been hacked and private conversations had gotten out.  Since this incident I have always been careful about what I put online.

There are both benefits and risks to using Facebook.  One benefit is that it can connect you with almost everyone.  With millions of users, you can find a long lost friend or just reconnect with someone.  Homework help?  Someone is online.  Need to chat?  Someone is online.  I enjoy keeping up with my family and friends through Facebook.  I like looking through the pictures, because you get to see a glimpse of their memory or experience.  The worst part of Facebook I have noticed is that people just don't know when to stop talking or what is appropriate to put online.  They go on and on about their personal problems that are often too much.  This also leads to bullying.  People feel stronger behind a computer because they aren't face to face with the people they are talking to, although it still does the same damage.

Reading the article in class made me double think what my security settings were.  Those settings aren't generally something I pay much attention to, but everyone needs to be aware of what exactly is going on with what you post online.  You should know the facts, and always be careful.

Also, no one likes when you hash tag on Facebook.

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