That is the question.
At my age, you hope to be over the whole peer pressure thing. I said no to drugs. I said no to cigarettes, witchcraft, grand theft auto and the other normal teenage angst. Ironically now, more than a few years after high school, I'm being pressured to jump on a social bandwagon on which I'm not sure I want to ride, and I'm beginning to give in to the pressure.
I'm seriously thinking about registering on Facebook.
I've received several invitations from my lovely friends and colleagues, but I'm still contemplating whether to sign up. I've heard pros and cons from folks, and it's an ongoing debate (in my head). OK, so maybe it's not that serious, but maybe it is.
We're in the digital age. I admit that I'm not too big on the whole phone thing. I gave up the pen pal thing after college. So, Facebook seems to be the new millennium's way of keeping in contact. As a matter of fact, I have an irking feeling that I'm missing out on some major events and news in my friends' lives by not being in the Facebook loop.
So, keeping in touch with my friends is a pro, but there are also some cons I've been told.
I actually know one person deleted her profile. Why? She was connecting with guys whose married life she'd rather not know about. A former colleague is still registered but often has to ignore friend requests from people he feels don't fall into the "friend" category in his life. Do I run the risk of reconnecting with "undesirables"? Then, there's the whole cyber-stalking thing. The more you're on the web, the more open your life is, and you can't always control who comes in.
On the pro side, I hear it's a great way to network professionally. Plus, for every person you hear from that you don't care to, there are two or three that you're glad to reconnect with ... or so I hear.
So, help me out. Am I over thinking it? Am I missing out on whole new world? Should I give in to the pressure?
15 comments:
I say go for it. Ride the wave while Facebook is hot. You know it'll die down eventually. Just know what you want to get out of Facebook and be careful not to post your whole life on your profile. If you don't like it after a while you can always stop.
I agree with Stan. Give it a try. It's really not that bad, and remember that there are privacy settings on facebook that allow you to restrict what certain people on your friends list see. So, for instance, you can create a group for "coworkers" and make it so they can't see most of your photos, your status updates, comments, etc.
Also, if you join, be sure to make it so that you page is visible only to your friends. I think facebook, by default, makes your page visible to your entire "network" (which may be everyone in the network for the area you live in -- Washington, DC, for instance -- or your college or work networks). You have to actually go through the process of restricting your settings so that your page is only visible to those on your friends list.
Do it! Do it! Do it! No pressure.
Girl, you'll love it. Go on and join!
I have to agree with everybody else. Just be selective on what you put out there and be strict on who you allow to see you page.
I've reconnected with some really great people.
You always have the power to ignore a "friend" request, but at the same time it is kind of unnerving and weird that someone who you were never really friends with in any aspect of your life ever is now requesting you to be a "friend". I can't get over that. I just got a request this morning that I'm ignoring because I probably said three words to this person in five long years of college. So you can expect that, but you can also expect to connect with some [probably a it cyber-stalkerish] old friends who you never thought you'd hear from again. But the bottom line is you can control who you're friends with. If the folks you reject as friends persist (as they always do), they'll get the message sooner or later (as they always do).
This is exactly what I did for at least a year. Your worries are legit but FB has remedies for all your concerns. The only thing you should be really be concerned about is whether you have enough time on your hands...and whether your insurance covers FB addiction treatment. Other than that, it's a big party Cuz! We await your arrival...
My experiences with Facebook have been positive, so I say give it a try. Facebook put me in touch with folks from high school and college that I figured I'd never see again. Is it addictive? Some are weaker than others. I'm on a few times a week. When I'm extra bored, I explore other people's profiles, and take advantage of all the fun Facebook stuff. In terms of those pesky "Friend Requests" that come from time to time, don't be afraid to "Ignore" anybody. I do it all the time. LOL! Ok, so look me up when you register...
Kia said...
Ah... I am SOOO out voted on this topic by the look of all the other comments.
The cool girl in highschool (me) is now the supersentive geek!
I won't argue...it is a great tool to keep in touch with old friends you have lost touch with but has ANYONE given thought to WHY you lost touch with them in the first place? Maybe it was just life timing...and both were busy, moved, etc. but maybe you or that other person has moved on for a reason.
Ignoring friend request is not cool. Let me repeat, ignoring friend request is not cool.
The other person is not stupid, they can figure out that you don't want to be bothered. How would you feel if you sent a friend request to an old friend and they didn't respond.
If you are itching and scratching to reconnect with old friends... dive in.
I have chosen to delete my profile and enjoy the friends and folks I am in touch with now :)
Signed,
The only person in the universe gladly not on FACEBOOK.
cuzzo facebook is what you make...if you put up naked pics than thats what people will see....but dont do that lmao!
its a great way to connect with people that you dont call or see on a regular...ive been on for about 3 yrs now and no probs, my page is only viewable to friends which i suggest you do!
if someone requests to be your friend and you dont know them just hit ignore, trust me i do it all the time and i dont feel bad at all.
i'll be waiting for your friend request!
cmbowers
I say do it, and feel free to ignore/unfriend those you don't want to connect with. I have connected with high school friends and former colleagues, and been hit up by some unfavorables/strangers. The beauty of the site is that your connections are totally up to you. And if you decide you don't like it, you can always leave...
Happy new year!
I think you should go for it girl...lol I'm still getting used to the whole Facebook thing myself but I believe you can block people from your page, which is also a pro. Its a much easier way to stay in contact with people you know...not really a way to meet new people. That's how I put it. Rarely do I get a friend request from someone I dont know...
Eric OnBlast...lol
ok, i want you on there, because i need more tracy in my daily life. and january102 can tell you how to keep me from knowing too much of your business. ;^)
it's been great. i have had a mini fb high school reunion already, and i'm now starting on college.
you can post all your blogs there, too...
i understand you on this one. i held out forever. i only joined a few weeks ago because a certain 80+ year old former coworker of ours, both of my parents, my sister, and husband joined. so, i did. i will admit: it is overwhelming, but it is also very cool to catch up with friends i haven't seen since elementary school!
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