Asides: Are You A Psychopath If You Don't Have A Facebook Account? We Don't Think So

Seeing as I am in the age group most predominately active on Facebook, this article was very intriguing to me. I think that social media has created a new sense of loneliness we have never felt before and created this “fear of missing out.” My teacher had our class deactivate our Facebook accounts for one week. I thought it would be so easy, that a week was nothing; but after less than three days, I felt so disconnected from the world. It’s silly really, how we can live so close to one another or easily pick up the phone and call our close friends, yet without the constant ability to stalk their profile, we feel so out of the loop. Facebook can tell you everything about a person. The new “timeline” feature literally chronicles your birth to the present down to every friend you made on the exact date. By accepting a friend request, you are giving someone the ability to know every last detail of your life. Facebook stalking is so simple and people are so careless with the information they give out freely, strangers can know more about us than our friends do. I think not having a Facebook doesn’t make you abnormal; but one would genuinely miss out on important life events, moments, and pictures without it. Let’s be honest, nothing is official until it’s Facebook official. But on the other hand, social media websites like twitter and tumblr can be just as intrusive as Facebook. There are also settings on Facebook to make your profile a lot more limited and secure. Although I am a huge fan of Facebook, I do fear the effect it has had on my life. Every time I miss a party or a fun time with friends, seeing the evidence on Facebook makes it so much worse. Even though my profile says I have 800 friends, how many of them are my actual “friends?” And with 800 friends I sometimes feel lonelier than ever, just like Ashleigh Elser said. Facebook has the power to connect as well as disconnect relationships. I am addicted and dependent on Facebook, and that fact scares the living daylights out of me.