Saturday, January 31, 2009

Facebook Friends



All of these new social networks that have come to life definitely have their ups and downs. I too feel that friendships may be “cheapened” by sites listing how many friends you have. However, the positive side of keeping in contact with people that you may have otherwise forgotten about outweighs any negative effects. I know that Facebook has helped me to build stronger friendships with people I already know from school and also to keep in touch with people that I knew in my old hometown. By looking at peoples’ pictures, tagging them in photos, and leaving them friendly messages, stronger bonds are formed. By having a Facebook you can find out about events that are happening between your friends and when your friends’ birthdays are. Also, I find it much easier to leave a friend in a different state a message on their Wall rather than finding the time to call them. I know it might be better to actually talk with someone on the phone but time is at a premium. At least through a friendly message your long distance friends will know you still care about them. As far as people “getting dirty” on some social networks, I think that everyone just needs to be cautious. As long as you take precautions by only being friends with people you know are decent people, you can avoid any explicit content. Like anything else, people need to make an effort to reap the benefits of social networks. If you just get a Facebook and expect it to magically make you a more social person it’s probably not going to happen. However, if you use Facebook wisely and continue to leave your friends messages and pictures it is almost guaranteed that you will build social capital. By keeping in touch you will become more involved with your friends lives and maybe even meet some of your friends, friends.

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